this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023

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Privacy

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Meta payment message (iusearchlinux.fyi)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by promitheas@iusearchlinux.fyi to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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So I got the message from instagram about either paying or using it free (at the cost personalised ads) just now.

1000010454

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!

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[–] h3mlocke@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

👋

[–] const_void@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The greed of these people is astounding

[–] promitheas@iusearchlinux.fyi 2 points 1 year ago

Its sad that most people are numb to it, and actually completely unaware/uncaring. They just click that they want to continue using it for free, which is exactly what mera wants

[–] fluffery@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

Pixelfed for true alternative PWA works Instander exists

[–] knfrmity@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 year ago

As far as I understand, this subscription "option" comes from a couple EU member state data protection agencies saying that the "choice" between give up all your personal information or don't use the service isn't good enough.

It remains to be seen if give up all your personal information or pay and still give up all your personal information will be accepted by those and other regulators. I can't imagine it will be.

Also fun fact, it costs more on the mobile apps as Meta passes the Play Store/App Store fees onto the end user.

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Have you tried the options?I proceeded to checkout where it told me the price would stay that u til maj, where it would double because I have two accounts (Facebook and 2 xInstagram)

[–] penquin@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'll just stop using it if they tell me this. You can sign up for pixelfed. It's a part of the fediverse, too. You can transfer all of your Instagram photos to it very easily. They even have instructions on how to do it. I moved all of my 650 photos in about 20 minutes. Just in case.

[–] promitheas@iusearchlinux.fyi 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I dont have many photos, but thats not the issue. Its that all my friends are on it, and until I leave after my bachelors and need to have contact with them often im stuck with it. After i leave to a different country once i get my degree itll be easier, but for the next year or so im stuck with instagram because i dknt want to lose contact with them. As most people, they would never leave the mainstream thing behind, so no chance of converting them as well

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[–] Vincentvd@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

"Your info won't be used for ads". Does that also mean that they won't collect any info about you? Theoretically, they don't have any reason to collect data anymore because you pay them.

[–] magnetosphere@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

But others will pay for your data. They’ll collect it all anyway. Even if anonymized, it’s still valuable.

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[–] crashprone@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

You can still use Instagram on your browser, without being shown the banner. Works for me with Firefox on Android.

If you do decide to opt for the subscription (I hope you don't) do it from your desktop browser since it costs 10€ instead of 12.99€. I haven't tried it myself, but that's what I read on a German website.

I still need to use the app to stay in touch with some friends and to get updates from smaller organizations that do not have a Web presence or newsletter.

I uninstalled Instagram when I was shown the banner. Not out of principle but I simply don't know which action would send the right signal. By continuing to use the app for free I would be sending the signal that I do not care about my privacy.

So do I pay for the subscription? I read somewhere elsewhere Meta makes more than that off me using targeted ads. So by subscribing do i still get to use the service and they make less money off me? There's no guarantee they honor the no tracking even if I pay.

So I've just uninstalled the app for now.

[–] Lemmchen@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago

from your desktop browser since it costs 10€ instead of 12.99€

Are there any VPN shenanigans one could try to make it cheaper?

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[–] Rearsays@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

It seems like a nice idea that they offer a paid option for an ad free internet

[–] ominouslemon@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What is your issue exactly here? The fact that this could go against the GDPR? If that's the case, I don't see how a third party client would help. IG would still collect info about you and show you ads. Also, you would probably get the same popup asking if you want to subscribe. Nothing would change (except that with a third party client IG would not be able to collect as much info about you as with the official app)

Anyways, you still have the option to not pay and keep using IG as before. Nothing changes.

[–] promitheas@iusearchlinux.fyi 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I dont think so (correct me if im wrong). An alternative app might have access to the content etc and get around this paywall somehow.

Anyways, you still have the option to not pay and keep using IG as before. Nothing changes.

As fir my issue with this, im in the privacy community...need i say more? XD

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The only thing a third party app can do is keep phone based activity private. If you have to ping a server to do something, that point becomes their data.

[–] ominouslemon@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

This. Also, third part clients are usually just web wrappers for the actual official site

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 4 points 1 year ago

im in the privacy community

What are you doing using instagram if you care about privacy? If you're there for friends, then privacy probably isn't that important enough to you to quit insta. What do you do on insta anyway? Aren't your friends on WhatsApp too? What's the point of Insta?

[–] loo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

AFAIK nothing changes. You can still turn off personalized ads in the privacy settings. I believe that nothing changed.

[–] Wild_Mastic@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Remember that time WhatsApp (~~just after Facebook acquisition~~) introduced an annual fee you had to pay for using it, and then after everyone payed they removed it?

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[–] pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

instander

[–] Lemmchen@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Is there an open source alternative?

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[–] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Hermit app make PWAs a realistic alternative

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[–] rustyriffs@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

PWA

What's that mean?

[–] promitheas@iusearchlinux.fyi 2 points 1 year ago

Progressive Web App.

Its like "installing" a website to your phone kinda. Usually if you open the menu on your mobile browser, if the site supports it there will be an option to install the site to your phone as a web app.

[–] coughrelief@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

No but try MyInsta

[–] lorez@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Choose wisely.

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