So I got the message from instagram about either paying or using it free (at the cost personalised ads) just now.
Doesn’t this go against the GDPR? Either way, is there a FOSS alternative for instagram like piped is to youtube? It seems like a good opportunity to stop using the official app, even though it would be better to not use instagram at all (sadly not an option for me right now).
Any suggestions, and if so, are there any that provide functionality for: stories, posts, dms? Those are the 3 things I use instagram for.
Many thanks!
Edit: For messaging I do use beeper, though some media like carousels and posts sent to my dms cant be shown in there, so for those cases I open the official app.
Edit 2: many people have suggested pixelfed. Ive heard of it, and want to use it, but unfortunately the only reason Im still sticking with instagram is because I have very dear friends who would never change to anything non-mainstream. Theyre important enough that im willing to not delete it just yet, but I dont want to agree to either pay or pay with my data.
What im looking for is more like a piped for youtube, thing. So a frintend that has instagram content/features, but isnt the main app and avoids the problems I listed above
Edit 3: I ended up installing the site as a PWA on my phone as thats the only device I use it on, and uninstalled the official app. Thanks to everyone for all your input!
Wait, so it’s either targeted ads or pay? Damn… Silly me thinking if you don’t pay you still could opt out of targeted ads.
But yeah, isn’t this against GDPR?
I’m certain it is. I sent an objection/data deletion request, and their “privacy info” pages are absolutely in violation of GDPR, because their forms are NOT reasonably accessible. I needed to use 3 separate mobile browsers and my desktop. When you finally get to the form, they ask some basic info, and the box where you’re supposed to make a request ends by asking something like “what rights do you believe are being violated, and why?”. The fucking gall on these removed.
I planned on dropping some links, but they all have hard-coded non-functional redirects, which is intentional and absolutely infuriating. The redirects either just break like this one, which is suppose to be the one that contains a link to the form:
https://help.instagram.com/contact/117037592428568
Or they take you somewhere barely related, like this one which was the hidden start page for the form:
https://m.facebook.com/help/1221288724572426?wtsid=rdr_0bxiU4jakSVimlO8y
Or maybe it was this one? I can’t remember, because it doesn’t fucking take me to the page I saved the url for:
https://m.facebook.com/help/238318146535333?wtsid=rdr_0LKGtSJZTQyEH3R9N
Anyway, I’m mad if that’s not obvious. If you happen to find the form, you can try opting out. I haven’t heard back yet. Here’s the thorough and crystal fucking clear message I wrote, feel free to copy/share it:
Nope, the GDPR allows data collection as long as the user explicits concents to it, and it doesn’t say services can’t be fee based. It’s not a workaround.
Better question is why is a privacy advocate using a platform owned by Meta in the first place.
Plus, although still stupid, you could simply connect from a US IP address, and since people that care about privacy already have VPNs, pretty trivial to do.