A Simple Trick Lets Users Share Photos from Private Instagram and Facebook Pages

Photos and videos on private accounts in Instagram and Facebook aren’t as secure as many users think. According to a report by BuzzFeed, a simple trick allows friends and followers on these social networks not only to view such content, but also to download and share it with others.

To use this method, only a basic understanding of HTML and how browsers work is needed. An individual can inspect the source code of a web page (for example, by using the “Inspect Element” tool), navigate to the img section, and find the URL of any image they have clicked on. This URL is publicly accessible and can be sent to other people, including those who are not logged into Instagram or who do not follow the private account in question.

Testing by the BuzzFeed Tech + News Working Group showed that this method allows users to view, download, and share JPEG and MP4 files posted on private pages and in “Stories.”

Facebook does not consider this issue to be a serious threat. “The described actions are equivalent to taking a screenshot of a friend’s photo on Facebook or Instagram and sharing it with others. They do not provide access to private accounts,” company representatives stated.