Your private Instagram profile may not hide as much as you think — here’s what an investigation found
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Privacy concerns around social media have escalated significantly in recent years, with users increasingly cautious about what they share online.
A new experiment by Compare the Market tested exactly how much information can actually be hidden when you set your Instagram to private. The results are sobering.
A licensed investigator was tasked with locating the home addresses of nine volunteers using only publicly available information.
Despite four of them having private Instagram profiles, the investigator identified the addresses of seven out of nine. The fastest was located in just 15 minutes, with the first lead found in 50 seconds.
What the investigation revealed
Colin Crowden, Intelligence Director at Global Protect and an Open-Source Intelligence expert, conducted the investigation. What he discovered challenges the assumption that private accounts provide adequate protection.
Beyond identifying addresses, the investigation uncovered four complete property plans revealing internal home layouts. In one particularly concerning finding, Crowden established that a volunteer was away on holiday, confirming their property was unoccupied.
The speed at which information was gathered highlights a critical vulnerability. Information shared by friends and family, location tags from previous posts, property details visible in photos, and data from other online sources all contribute to a broader picture.
Crowden explains the issue clearly: “Information that appears harmless in isolation can become much more revealing when viewed alongside other publicly available information. This isn’t about any one post creating a security risk; it’s about how different pieces of information can build up over time.”
Why your private account isn’t enough
The experiment demonstrates that privacy settings alone offer incomplete protection. Even if your Instagram is private, tagged photos from friends, public check-ins, or incidental details in backgrounds can expose your location and home information.
The investigation reveals that the combination of data sources, not any single post, creates the vulnerability. Compare the Market’s home insurance expert Helen Phipps worked with Crowden to develop concrete recommendations for reducing your digital footprint.
Practical steps to protect yourself
Wait until you’re home to post
If possible, wait until you’re home before posting holiday photos rather than sharing in real time. This prevents anyone from knowing your property is unoccupied. If you do post while away, avoid revealing exactly where you are or how long you’ll be away for.
Review your privacy settings before you travel
Check who can see your posts, stories, and tagged content. Consider setting your accounts to private and reviewing your followers so that holiday updates are only visible to people you trust. This step takes minutes but significantly limits exposure.
Coordinate with friends and family
Your friends and family can inadvertently expose you. Ask them not to share real-time updates if you’re traveling together or post photos of your property if they’re housesitting.
People often don’t realize they’re compromising your security by tagging you in posts or sharing location details.
Disable geotagging in your social media settings entirely. On Instagram, this requires revoking access directly through your phone’s system settings under Privacy & Security (iOS) or Apps (Android) rather than within the app itself.
Location sharing can unintentionally reveal your whereabouts even when you’re not posting in real time. This is one of the easiest settings to overlook but also one of the most revealing.
Search for yourself online periodically to see what personal details are publicly accessible, and remove anything that compromises your privacy. Pay special attention to old social media posts containing house numbers, street signs, car license plates, or identifiable landmarks.
If you want to take action right now, I have a step-by-step walkthrough covering 5 ways to start removing your personal information from the internet. You should also check out how to blur your home in Google Maps Street View.
Combine digital caution with home security
Beyond digital precautions, pair online caution with classic home security measures. Set light timers to create the appearance someone’s home, test all locks, arm your alarm system, and ask a neighbor to collect post and manage bins so the house looks lived-in.
Ensure your home insurance policy covers the duration of your trip and review any conditions that apply while your property is unoccupied.
This investigation raises important questions about privacy in the digital age. Have you changed your social media habits? What’s your biggest concern about your digital footprint? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
For a complete breakdown of Compare the Market’s methodology and findings, read the full Online Safety Study here.
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