Instagram can track anything you do on any website in their in-app browser (krausefx.com)

Article summary

The Instagram and Facebook apps on iOS use a custom in-app browser to render third-party links and ads, allowing them to track user interactions without consent. This tracking includes form inputs, taps, and text selections, and can be used to monitor user behavior on external websites. The article highlights the potential risks and disadvantages of in-app browsers, including privacy and security concerns. Users can protect themselves by opening links in Safari instead of the in-app browser.

Main themes

• in-app browser tracking
• privacy concerns
• security risks
• social media analytics
• user experience
• Apple guidelines and rules

What commenters say

• In-app browsers can break website functionality and do not sync with main browser states, such as authenticated sessions.
• Some commenters believe that social media companies prioritize analytics and tracking over user experience and privacy.
• Others argue that using a password manager can mitigate some of the security risks associated with in-app browsers.
• There is disagreement over whether Apple's guidelines and rules are sufficient to prevent companies from exploiting in-app browsers for tracking purposes.
• Some users prefer to access social media sites through their mobile browser, despite potential usability issues, to avoid app-based tracking.
• The use of in-app browsers is seen as a way for companies to collect more data and create better analytics, which can be used for targeted advertising.
• Alternative solutions, such as using a different browser or a web frontend, are proposed as a way to avoid in-app browser tracking.