• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

  • About
    • Affiliations & Honors
    • Contributors
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Technology
    • YouTube
    • Social Media
  • Lifestyle
    • Parenting
    • Travel
    • Safety
  • Education
  • Causes
  • Gift Guides
  • CONTACT
    • Work with Me

The Very Public Side of Private Instagram Accounts

July 16, 2015 By Lisa Frame

Today I found a social media privacy problem between Pinterest, IFTTT, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram. These are the only accounts I have tested so far, but it was a broad enough sample to discuss Internet safety, social media privacy and your information being online. Let me be clear: I’m not a developer, nor a statistician, I’m a social media strategist who is always testing and pushing the different social media platforms to their limits to do the best work for my clients.

Pinterest recently opened their API to allow developers to connect to their platform in new and unique ways. I’m a heavy Pinterest user with several Pinterest specific clients and it is my responsibility to stay informed about how Pinterest operates, as well as any changes or issues with the platform. Knowing IFFTT was one of the Pinterest users with early access to their API, I wanted to test the new “recipe” created by Pinterest on IFTTT for my clients.

Pinterest IFTTT privacy issues

IFTTT is a tool that writes “recipes” between social networks and apps using commands, such as the one I used today: “If I like a photo on Instagram, post it on Pinterest.” This command sent it to a public Pinterest board that I created within the IFTTT app. I created an Instagram Love board on Pinterest and was pretty happy when it added my pins. As I sat there and thought about the uses for this new tool, I wondered how it would affect Instagram accounts marked “Private.”

Using Leticia’s daughter’s private Instagram account, I found photos that were non-identifying and liked them. An hour later, I checked Pinterest and sure enough, there were the images from Instagram, the captions and her Instagram name on my very public Pinterest board.

Pinterest Instagram IFTTT privacy issue

Seeing as how the images were exposed from her private Instagram account, I chose to test a few more of the large social media networks to see if the results were the same.

In testing Tumblr, I was happy to see I could choose if my the Instagram images were to be added privately, as a draft, to the queue, or publicly. They were sent from Instagram to Tumblr via IFTTT and a short while later, showed up on my Tumblr page. (I set the images to publish privately, but have included screenshots for reference.) That being said, there is a caveat to this. I had a recipe written to share my Tumblr posts to this Pinterest board and there for the world to see were her private Instagram photos. Anyone with backend access to my Tumblr can Pin these images publicly within Tumblr.

Tumblr Instagram Privacy Issues

 

Tumblr, IFTTT, Pinterest privacy issues

Then I wrote a recipe for Facebook and Instagram. If I liked a photo on Instagram, upload it to Facebook. With Facebook, I could set protocols for who I wanted to see the photos. For the purposes of testing, I set them to public.

Facebook, Instagram, IFTTT privacy issues Facebook, Instagram, IFTTT privacy issues

The results were the same for all of the networks. Each time I liked one of the photos on her private Instagram account, they were shared publicly.

This raises a lot of questions about the privacy and security promised us by the various social networks who have privacy settings to allow their users to only share their content with approved followers. What concerns does it raise for parents who allow their children to use Instagram as long as it is set to private?

My concern as someone who works in the world of social media is that these platforms are developed and the real world implications aren’t thought about before their APIs are released to the public. My concern, as a parent, is all of that and so much more. Children whose accounts are private may still have self-identifying information that could allow someone to find out more about them based on images found on Pinterest, Tumbr, Facebook, etc. That’s a lot of content to police.

So that begs the question where is the lapse in privacy/security and who is responsible? Is it Instagram for allowing connections and making private accounts suddenly very public? IFTTT who writes the recipe used to connect the Pinterest API to the Instagram API? Is it Pinterest, Facebook and Tumblr who didn’t set out protocols to work with privacy parameters set by users on external networks? Or is this a combination of flaws by the developers of the independent networks who are trusting the others to have these privacy and security matters already in place?

What we do know, and have always known, is that nothing is ever truly secure or private. Changes to how a social media platform operates opens us up to a worm hole filled with issues. And in this case, the issue is privacy.

Concerned about Instagram? Leticia encourages you to talk to your kids! Read her post: Important Conversations to Have with Your Kids about Instagram.

Important Conversations to Have with Your Kids About Instagram on TechSavvyMama.com

Related

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: API, Facebook, IFTTT, Instagram, internet safety, pinterest, social media, Tumblr

About Lisa Frame

Lisa M Frame is a freelance writer and digital strategist living in Charlotte, NC area. When she's not writing or advising clients, Lisa can be found behind the lens of her favorite camera or reading.

Previous Post: « LivingSocial: Save Money While Crossing Off Family Bucket List Items at Home or When Traveling
Next Post: Blender Challenge: Does the Black & Decker Performance FusionBlade Blender Blend Work as Well as a $500 Professional One? (video) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly says

    July 16, 2015 at 9:44 am

    Wow! That’s not good. Though it does demonstrate precisely what you said-nothing is ever truly private online.

    • Leticia says

      July 16, 2015 at 10:10 am

      Thanks Kelly! I hope this helps create a conversation among parents and kids about how things that appear private online and via social media really aren’t! It’s a good reminder for all families as we navigate this digital world together!

  2. Tonya Staab says

    July 16, 2015 at 10:10 am

    I’ve had to inform a few people who have private Instagram accounts that each time they ‘share’ that image with their public Twitter account everyone can see it.

    • Leticia says

      July 16, 2015 at 10:13 am

      Yes! Moving from one social tool to another doesn’t mean that privacy settings carry over from platform to platform. I’m also a bit curious as to why someone with a private IG account would want to share a photo on their public Twitter account! If you want someone to see a photo, wouldn’t you just have a public IG account? #confused 🙂

      • Nichole says

        July 16, 2015 at 4:41 pm

        Some people have private accounts and selectively share photos publicly via other channels. Also, as a brand social media manager, I can tell you a number of people have private accounts and don’t even realize it. They come up to me at public events and want to know why I never like their posts! When we figure out it’s because they have a private account they are shocked. 🙂

  3. Lucretia says

    July 16, 2015 at 10:13 am

    Definitely need to get this on some high profile radars. Thanks for the heads up.

  4. Lisa Frame says

    July 16, 2015 at 10:22 am

    I hope this helps create a conversation among parents and kids about how things that appear private online and via social media really aren’t rather than creating a culture of fear.

    Education is the best tool we have for children and for ourselves when we’re online.

    • Leticia says

      July 16, 2015 at 10:40 am

      I can’t thank you enough for writing this piece. Indeed it’s about being informed as parents and having the knowledge we need to have an educated conversation with our kids about pros and cons, risks and rewards of having a social media/online presence.

      If we are properly informed than the world is less scary as we work with our kids to ensure that they grow up to be responsible digital citizens.

  5. Titania Jordan says

    July 16, 2015 at 11:15 am

    Wow. Thank you so much for writing this. I switched to a private IG account earlier this year and this is disturbing (but not surprising).

  6. Jendi says

    July 16, 2015 at 11:24 am

    When I read your question, “where is the lapse in privacy/security and who is responsible?” My immediate answer was, “the parents.” I do acknowledge that the services/developers should definitely work on this. I also know many parents allow children that are younger than TOS allows go ahead and use social media, and – like you said – “nothing is ever truly secure or private.” So until the child is old enough to understand that and use SM responsibly, should they be using social media?

  7. Naomi says

    July 16, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    Whoa. Nothing is ever truly private on the internet. I’ve been trying to relay that message to my tween, which is difficult in this era of YouTubers and MAGCON fame.

  8. Eric T. Tung says

    July 16, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    I think it’s a non-issue. The privacy piece is what keeps other people from seeing it, not people you authorize. The IFTTT engine then helps you publicize it, just as anyone could if they copied an image and then re-uploaded it.

    The privacy doesn’t keep the people you authorize to see it, and in some cases, share it. It only keeps out the people you haven’t authorized.

  9. Julie says

    July 16, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    Lisa and Letitia, thank you for opening eyes to this enormous gap. As a parent of an almost 12-year-old, this is a great example of why privacy is so important to recognize and respect, and further exemplifies the need to enforce the need to teach kids to STOP AND THINK before sharing. I can definitely see how easily a private account can be shared I other ways, but this new loophole makes it even easier.

  10. Susan (5 Minutes for Mom) says

    July 16, 2015 at 3:31 pm

    So shocking!!!

    I am a firm believer that nothing every typed or uploaded ANYWHERE online is ever truly private, but that is a MAJOR coding BUG.

    This is critical for parents to know and use as another explanation to their kids why they shouldn’t share anything even remotely “private” online.

  11. Sara Chi says

    July 16, 2015 at 5:29 pm

    I never trust the private accounts, or SnapChat’s auto delete.

    We had this long and behold “check yourself before you wreck yourself” conversation before my daughters had Twitter and Instagram accounts, I wanted their accounts to be public AND we have to follow each other.

    Education and constant reminding, is a big part of parent’s job in today’s digital world. I only trust my kids and myself.

  12. Allie says

    July 16, 2015 at 11:33 pm

    So interesting. Another reason why my children will have stricter rules than almost all of their friends!

  13. Kim at Life in a House... says

    July 17, 2015 at 1:58 am

    Wow. Just goes to show that what I have told my children is true. If you post it ANYWHERE online – private or not – it will be seen by people you’d never imagine.

  14. Kimberly @ Red Shutters says

    July 17, 2015 at 10:06 am

    Fascinating! As my kids get older, and more tech savvy, knowing the ins and outs of social media privacy is so critical. Thank you!

  15. Theresa says

    July 17, 2015 at 10:48 am

    Thanks for doing the research and pointing this out! I’ve always know ‘nothing is ever private’ – but this example really shows how little control we have over what we share online.

  16. Amy says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Thanks for this insight! I generally believe nothing is private anywhere but having it validated just confirms it.

  17. Bonnie Way says

    July 29, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    Another good reminder that social media is public, no matter what settings you have. This also reinforced my decision to not post pictures of my children online and to use nicknames for them on my blog and social media sites. Thanks for sharing this information. 🙂

  18. Kerry says

    July 29, 2015 at 4:42 pm

    A girl was bullying(well being a bitch) to my daughter on instagram. I found out that she had her account marked private but was happily harrassing other people on their accounts. However…since I new her name, I googled her and oh look..her PRIVATE insta photos all over google images. I assume because she had shared them on other platforms. We left it at that …basically told the girl that might be silly to harrass a girl whose mom WORKS with social media and enjoyed looking at her photos and to be more careful with how and what she shared on line…..big lesson for parents and stupid girls.

  19. Raya says

    July 30, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    Well researched article. Thank you for taking the time to research and share this information.

  20. Amy Barseghian says

    July 31, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    Wow – this is such an informative article. Thank you for bringing this to light.

Trackbacks

  1. The coolest tech links for parents around the web says:
    July 17, 2015 at 6:03 am

    […] Are private Instagram accounts really private? Important read, especially if you have kids that use the app. […]

Primary Sidebar

about sidebar pic_profile pic

Hi! I'm Leticia, founder of Tech Savvy Mama! I'm an award-winning blogger, Washington, DC area mom of teens, middle school computer science teacher, and education consultant.  Read more...

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

AFFILIATIONS & HONORS

_YouTube Parent Panel

_top50momblogger

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Consent*
Yes, I consent to being emailed
No, I do not want to be emailed
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise!

Tech Savvy Mama on YouTube

<<< View More >>>

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

INSTAGRAMMIN’

techsavvymama

DC area blogger & middle school computer science teacher focused on edu, family tech & teens. ❤s= 🚀 #STEM 🏃 #StJudeHeroes #legacyteamnuun 🏝 #Haiti

It was such a joy to be able to celebrate this mil It was such a joy to be able to celebrate this milestone! 🎉 Huge congratulations to Thomas and the Class of 2024! 🎓 #classof2024 #graduation
Happy Global Running Day! 🏃🏻‍♀️If you Happy Global Running Day! 🏃🏻‍♀️If you know me, you know you can always find me in Memphis running a race the first weekend in December for @stjude . I ❤️love ❤️ love ❤️ love ❤️this race because the race course is pretty flat, the weather is amazing, and the whole city of Memphis comes to cheer you on, you get to run through the St. Jude campus which is always inspiring, and it is just SO fun! 🎉 If you’ve ever thought of running a 5K, 10k, half, or full marathon, I invite you to register! Sign up to join me to run/walk/run+walk any distance and not only will I cheer you on as you get race ready but I will be your Marathon Weekend buddy. 🙌🏼 I promise to help get you race ready, will take you to all the best places in Memphis before the race, and to celebrate after with post-race drinks at the Peabody Hotel. 🍹Who is going to join me? Link to register in the first comment! 🏃🏻‍♀️ #stjudeheroes #globalrunningday #memphis #stjude #stjudedmv
The best part of @solairesocial is the incredible The best part of @solairesocial is the incredible variety of delicious food available in one place! 🎉 Our family of adventurous eaters has been anxiously awaiting the opening of this culinary collective and our first visit did not disappoint! 💕 Here’s a look at the diverse food concepts that @chefakhtar has carefully curated to be part of the Solaire Social culinary experience. 👀 Huge thanks to Solaire Social for inviting us to their influencer preview to enjoy the amazing culinary cultural concepts that we’re happy to have right in our backyard! I know the hardest part about our next visit will be choosing among all the incredible food at these 8 amazing restaurants! 🍽️ 

#SolaireSocial #SilverSpring #silverspringmd #montgomerycountymd #dmvfoodie #fifteensecondsofsummer
Chincoteague = Our island in the sun ☀️ Until Chincoteague = Our island in the sun ☀️ Until next time! 💕 more than #fifteensecondsofsummer #chincoteague #assateague #loveva #islandlife
The best way to start any day in Chincoteague is a The best way to start any day in Chincoteague is at @amarin_coffee_usa ! Their fresh baked buttery croissants (that are almost as big as your head!) are always such a treat when we’re here! 🥐❤️🥐 #fifteensecondsofsummer #chincoteague #civa #esva #coffeelovers
Fifteen seconds of sunset for #fifteensecondsofsum Fifteen seconds of sunset for #fifteensecondsofsummer ! 🌅 #chincoteague #loveva #esva #sunsetlovers
Is it officially summer for your family? It is for Is it officially summer for your family? It is for ours! ☀️Thomas finished his last day of high school and Emily is home from college for a bit so it’s summer in our house. 🙌🏼 We kicked off our summer at a @nationals game that included a win with 3 home runs! ⚾️ This year I’m joining @lashawnwiltz in 15 seconds of summer, sharing 15 seconds from my days so at the end, I can look back and remember the great things we did as a family before Thomas heads to college in the fall. 😢 Join in the fun by recording and sharing 15 seconds of your summer days and use the hashtag #fifteensecondsofsummer. It officially starts June 1 but join in whenever your summer begins! 🕶️🍉⛱️ #washingtondc #washingtonnationals #nats #baseball #summer
Today we’re celebrating National Rescue Dog Day Today we’re celebrating National Rescue Dog Day because we’re so glad Goldie and Murphy are part of our family! 🐶 We gave Goldie her forever home when she was 6 months old. She had been given up by her original family because she was just too much for them. She was an enthusiastic pup who loved to jump straight up in the air when she got excited and she used to hop the fence in the mornings to go visit her best dog friend, Katy, over our back fence. She still jumps from standing when she sees a deer, meets a favorite dog friend, or gets a visit from @lisatasch but now at age 5, she’s more calm and forever faithful. 🦮We met Murphy and his 9 brothers and sisters just days after he was born although we didn’t know he would be the puppy we’d claim as ours. Murphy has that puppy energy but in his quiet moments is a total love bug. He hogs the free space in our king bed (he even has his own pillow!) and loves nothing more than to press his body into me or lie directly on me. 🐾 Goldie and Murphy came to us through @labrescuelrcp and we couldn’t be happier that they’re part of our family! ❤️ #rescuedogday #labrescue #labrador #adoptdontshop
After 3 days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hos After 3 days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I’m leaving Memphis so very grateful to be able to support St. Jude’s mission of working to end childhood cancer. ❤️ Spending time connecting, brainstorming, and absorbing the wisdom of fellow Hero Ambassadors from around the country was inspiring because the work we do fundraising through our endurance events helps St. Jude do the incredible work they do to ensure families never receive a bill for their child’s treatment, housing, travel, or food and continue important research that will continue to reduce rates of pediatric cancer and other childhood diseases. I am so looking forward to running in Memphis again this December! 🎉 If you’ve ever thought of running a race that does so much good in the world, join me! I’d love to have you come to Memphis and run with me! Or you can always donate through the fundraising link in my bio. ❤️ #stjude #stjudeheroes #memphis #stjudedmv
Prom 2024! ❤️ #prom #classof2024 #senioryear # Prom 2024! ❤️ #prom #classof2024 #senioryear #lastfridaynight #latergram
When we bought our house 24 years ago, it came wit When we bought our house 24 years ago, it came with many things we didn’t love like rotted porch boards, 1 bathroom, and peeling paint (inside and out!) but it also came with things we did love like old, mature trees, crazy shaped boxwood bushes, and these spectacular peonies! 🌸 Every year when they bloom I’m so glad that these beauties conveyed with the purchase of our house and I’m glad we rebuilt our porch so we can step out our front door to admire them in their glory! 🩷#peonies #peonyseason #garden #blooms #spring
As a teacher and parent, I am well aware of the me As a teacher and parent, I am well aware of the mental health challenges our youth face and am really pleased to share that over the weekend I became certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing! 🎉 I’ve always worked to build relationships with the young people in my life- whether my kids’ friends or students- and this certification has made me more mindful of the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges so I can have important and supportive conversations when symptoms first start to appear. 🗣️A big component of the training also included developing a self-care plan which is critical when supporting others. 💕 I’m so grateful to have taken this certification for free through the University of Maryland whose blended learning format (2 hours of self paced online work + 5 hour instructor led class over Zoom) was fantastic! 💻 The teacher in me really applauds the course design and I’m glad to join the 3 million+ in the U.S. certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. 🏥 If this is something you’re interested in doing, University of Maryland has free courses on Saturdays or Sundays from 10-4pm between June-October. Swipe ⬅️ for more information, including a QR code with more information and a survey to take as part of the sign up process. And if you have any questions- leave a comment or DM me. I’m happy to help you get certified too! ❤️ #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthfirstaid #youthmentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth
Follow on Instagram

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

SAVVY FINDS

Footer

Tech Savvy Businesswoman

Check me out across my social media channels for examples of how I can help amplify your company's brand, product, or cause!

_YouTube Parent Panel

techsavvymamasquarelogo_techsavvymama square logo

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Looking for Something?

Search by category…

or by date

DISCLOSURE POLICY

Copyright © 2025 Tech Savvy Mama · Designed by Hustle & Sway · Log in

 

Loading Comments...