Instagram has announced plans to update its app to give users more control over data that they share with third-party apps.
According to a new press release from the Facebook-owned social network, the in-app feature will give users the ability to remove third-party apps that the user approved at one point for sharing photos, usernames or other data, such as apps for building websites or for printing Instagram photos.
Instagram explains that “Some examples include apps that allow you to easily print your Instagram photos or help you build a website. After connecting your account to a third-party service, you may grant them access to some of your profile information, such as your username and photos. Starting today, we’re making it easier for people to manage all of the third-party services they connect to their Instagram account.”
From the security section in the settings, you can access an “apps and websites” option. There, you’ll see all the other services that have access to your Instagram account and remove them from the list if you choose. At that point, they won’t have access to new activity on your account.
The company wrote that the updates will be gradually rolled out over the next six months, and that they will “ultimately allow people to have more control over the data they share with third-party services.”
The company has been busy with a number of significant changes in recent months. Earlier this month it quietly removed the ‘Following’ view, which allowed users to see which photos and posts their friends were interacting with.
Instagram also had recently rolled out a new “Restrict” mode globally that would let users stop people who bully them via offensive posts or abusive comments. A user could restrict someone by swiping left on a comment, through the Privacy tab in Settings or directly on the profile of the account you intend to restrict.
