this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2026
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Privacy

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Some of the info instagram sends when you're using the app. (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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I've recently been working on scraping the app api for instagram for a project, and I'm surprised at the amount of data it sends that it shouldn't need. I knew it did a lot of tracking already, but after looking at what it sends, I am never installing that app outside of an emulator.

When you login it sends:

  • How many sim cards you have installed
  • Whether you have whatsapp installed
  • whether you gave permission for: call logs, contacts, answer phone calls
  • Timestamps for when you opened the app and when you clicked any component.

On most requests, it sends:

  • Your connection type (WIFI/mobile data)
  • Your connection speed
  • Whether google play attestation is working
  • If your phone is foldable or not
  • Whether you have dark or light theme enabled
  • What device you are running instagram on
  • The components you clicked on to navigate to whatever page you are on, as well as timestamps for when you clicked them.

When loading your timeline, they payload contains:

  • Whether instagram has permission for your camera
  • Your battery level
  • Whether your phone is charging
  • The time you opened the app at.
  • Whether you used pull to refresh to load your feed.
  • Your volume level
  • Your timezone offset.

For every useful request it sends about 2 to /logging_client_events, which has a binary, encoded as base64 payload.

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[–] tyler@programming.dev 7 points 3 weeks ago

The whatsapp check is probably so it can exfiltrate your messages.

[–] Railcar8095@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Best is to not use Instagram.

Second best is to use Nora to see the web version and redirect the links automatically. https://f-droid.org/packages/jp.nonbili.nora/

[–] RotatingParts@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago

I am guessing that a lot of that tracking information isn't available to them if you don't use the app and just log into instagram via a browser.

[–] just_an_average_joe@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Any chance you can share your app when done?

[–] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I'm not currently working on an app, I am adding support for fetching stuff through accounts to this: https://codeberg.org/irelephant/kittygram .

[–] MrSoup@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

+1, I would like too to scrape my android apps without doing a man-in-the-middle with my pc.

[–] irelephant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

You could run the apps in an emulator.

[–] navigator@piefed.zip 2 points 3 weeks ago

I maintain an instagram account solely for my artist profile to promote my music. I have the app installed on a separate phone that only uses wifi (no sim) and no other app installed and with restricted permissions.

[–] Winged_Hussar@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Super interesting!

I don't remember which app it was (Maybe PayPal?) but whenever I opened it I would suddenly get Instagram notifications. Always found that odd/assumed there was some sort data sharing going on there.