No Instagram, no privacy

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Email Privacy Analogy & Self‑Hosting

  • Several commenters compare Instagram’s “no account, no privacy” issue to email: even if you self‑host, most correspondents use big providers, so those providers still see most of your mail.
  • Mixed experiences with self‑hosting: some report years of smooth operation (often using Mail‑in‑a‑Box, proper SPF/DKIM/DMARC), others caution about new domains, low‑reputation VPS IPs, and bulk/newsletter sending.
  • Some recommend outsourcing to specialist providers (e.g., Fastmail) rather than running your own.
  • Observations that domain reputation now matters more than IP, and that big providers like Microsoft/Yahoo can be trickier than Gmail.

Social Dynamics, Discretion, and Adulthood

  • Strong debate about whether hiding events from uninvited friends is childish or considerate.
  • One camp: adults should accept not being invited; walking on eggshells for others’ feelings is unhealthy.
  • Other camp: it’s “very adult” to smooth awkward feelings and avoid rubbing people’s noses in things (e.g., around grief, missed events).
  • Distinction is drawn between normal private conversation and mass “broadcasting” that collapses social context and amplifies slights.

Responsibility: People vs Platforms

  • Some argue social drama is fundamentally about people; platforms are just a medium.
  • Others blame Meta/Instagram’s design and surveillance capitalism for pushing a one‑to‑many broadcast model, maximizing engagement and eroding nuanced, context‑sensitive sharing.

Norms Around Opting Out

  • Disagreement over whether non‑users are seen as “weird” or increasingly respected; experiences vary by region and social circle.
  • Several say asking not to be posted or tagged is reasonable and usually respected; others note you ultimately cannot fully prevent it.

Consent, Tagging, and Shadow Profiles

  • Ethical and legal questions raised about tagging people who aren’t on the platform or can’t manage their data.
  • References to shadow profiles and facial recognition suggest that platforms can still identify and profile non‑users from others’ uploads.
  • Some see GDPR‑style rights as a partial counter, but practical enforcement is unclear.

Shifts in Social Media Use

  • Many report that Meta’s public platforms are now mostly abandoned or reduced to low‑stakes uses (e.g., birthdays), with real social life moving to private group chats (WhatsApp, Signal, Discord).
  • Younger people are perceived as using mostly group chats and TikTok; constant influencer content and life‑coaching on Instagram is a turn‑off for some.

Photos, AI, and a Desire for Anonymity

  • A number of commenters avoid having their photo online, ask permission before posting others, and never post kids’ photos.
  • Growing concern that AI crawlers and deepfakes make public photo sharing feel riskier, pushing some to keep archives private or self‑hosted.
  • One person describes a temporary sense of relief during a power blackout when nothing could be recorded or posted.