- Surfshark carried out an examination of social media applications eager for location, in particular X, Instagram and Snapchat
- Of the 10 social media applications analyzed, X requires the most granular location data
- The data was collected in August 2025 on the Apple App Store
Do you think you have covered your privacy? It might be time to give a rensation, especially if you are a regular user of X and other social media applications.
A study by the main supplier of VPN Surfshark analyzed the default location authorizations required by the 10 main social media applications in the Apple App Store and revealed that most of them are very swallowed with data – if not Stalker -Y.
Instagram, Elon Musk’s wires and Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg know especially where you are … even if you are using one of the best VPN applications.
Your smartphone records two types of location data: precise and coarse.
Moles data is a zoom-out low-resolution option that shares your general location around the world. The precise option is based on GPS, Bluetooth and even IP addresses to determine your exact location according to nearby networks. These are the latter data that X and other networks use, to various degrees.
As Director of Surfhark Technology, Donatas Budvytis, explains, precise location data fall under the most sensitive user data category because they can be linked to highly personal behavior and routines.
“All of this can lead to the construction of your profile, predict behavior or can be used for targeted handling and discrimination,” said Budvytis.
Location data can sometimes be useful. For example, he adds a useful context to photos (and helps you find a specific image of years later). It can also help you locate interesting sites and companies nearby. Social networks, however, seem to appreciate a little too much.
Surfshark discovered that if eight popular social networks collect precise location data, X is particularly interesting. Instagram, Threads and Facebook all need a lot, just like Pinterest. Snapchat needs less; Linkedin and YouTube require almost none.
The collection of user information in this way allows social networks to offer advertisers a better scope, guaranteeing targeted announcements according to your location. They could even send you marketing awareness messages using this type of data.
According to researchers, X and Pinterest can even use location data to follow users. There is no clarity on how this information is used or if it is available for data brokers. In such a scenario, various information from other applications could be used in tandem to establish more specific and precious data on your actions and interest.
Can’t just use a VPN?
VPNs are ideal for specific confidentiality uses, but with regard to location data collected using GPS and other networks, a VPN is less effective.
Since VPN crypt your internet access and transports it via a secure VPN server, only your IP address can be obscured. Social networks based on GPS and proximity to other networks – perhaps stations or downtown networks – can ignore the idea that your IP address is defined in Berlin if your GPS says London.
Although a VPN is definitely recommended for public Wi-Fi, it will only prevent bad players with access to the network. Elon Musk and CO can always record your location.
So can you prevent X from following you?
All social media applications have settings you can use to modify the information collected. So, although you can share photos and (potentially embarrassing) thoughts and opinions, you can at least control some of these privacy options.
In the case of X, you can open the parameters> Confidentiality and security> Information on the location and deactivate the three options (press the third, explore the settings, to switch it) to reduce the social network for your activities.
Other applications should have similar options. You can, of course, also deactivate the GPS of your phone when it is not necessary and consult the settings for the location services of your phone.
