Instagram Just Scrapped A Feature That Made It Easier To Stalk Celebrities

7 September 2016, 16:49 | Updated: 8 May 2017, 17:09

By Nicky Idika

@adulthumanbeing

Peace out to this OG Instagram feature.

Instagram is going through a lot of changes. Not just superficially, either. Over the last few months Instagram has undergone changes that have made it clear that its priorities have shifted from simple "photo updates" to video and by the minute features.

One OG Instagram feature that's getting the boot? Photo maps. 

via the verge 

So, Instagram's explanation of this supports the theory that they've got bigger fish to fry these days. "Photo Map was not widely used, so we've decided to remove the feature and focus on other priorities," Instagram told Mashable. 

Fair enough. This change is going to severely limit your ability to track the places other users have been, although users will still be able to use location tags. 

One of the hallmarks of Instagram Maps was that you would be able to view photos of where people had been strewn across a map. 

Refinery29 surmises that perhaps Instagram ditched this feature because people are creepy and sometimes stalk celebrities.

This would certainly fit into Instagram offering "high volume users" the option to filter comments or disable them all together and the introduction of Instagram Stories. Instagram seems to be working rather hard to make sure the platform is accommodating to influencers and celebrities and the not-often-used maps feature seems to be collateral damage. 

Farewell, Instagram Maps. We hardly knew ye.