https://sean.redcoke.dev/tags/privacy/Recent content in Privacy onHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usWed, 16 Oct 2024 23:13:47 +0800https://sean.redcoke.dev/posts/beware-of-igsh/Wed, 16 Oct 2024 23:13:47 +0800https://sean.redcoke.dev/posts/beware-of-igsh/<p><em>This post is written due to the sheer number of people who are unaware of the instagram reels tracking parameter <code>igsh</code> and accidentally leak their personal information on discord.</em></p> <p>While it is fun to share your instagram reels on soical media, you should be aware that instagram has a tracking parameter called <code>igsh</code> that can leak your personal information if you are not careful.</p> <p>When you share an instagram reel via app, the link will look like this:</p><p><em>This post is written due to the sheer number of people who are unaware of the instagram reels tracking parameter <code>igsh</code> and accidentally leak their personal information on discord.</em></p> <p>While it is fun to share your instagram reels on soical media, you should be aware that instagram has a tracking parameter called <code>igsh</code> that can leak your personal information if you are not careful.</p> <p>When you share an instagram reel via app, the link will look like this:</p> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" style="color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;"><code class="language-text" data-lang="text"><span style="display:flex;"><span>https://www.instagram.com/reel/123456/?igsh=ABCDEFG </span></span></code></pre></div><p>When other people click on the link, Instagram will say &ldquo;[IG username] shared this reel with you&rdquo; and show your profile picture. This is because the <code>igsh</code> parameter is used to track who shared the link.</p> <p>The <code>igsh</code> parameter does not contain any sensitive information (as it appears to be a hash) to others, but if you registered your Instagram account with your real name&hellip; well, you are basically telling everyone to doxx you. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU">welcome to the internet</a>.</p> <p><img src="https://rcd-objects.redcoke.dev/sean-blogs/beware-of-igsh/igsh_in_action.png" alt="IGSH in action"></p> <h1 id="how-to-avoid-this">How to avoid this</h1> <p>To avoid sharing more information than you intended, simply remove the <code>igsh</code> parameter from the link before sharing it on discord (or any other social media platform).</p> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" style="color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;"><code class="language-Text" data-lang="Text"><span style="display:flex;"><span>https://www.instagram.com/reel/123456/ &lt;-- remove the &#34;?igsh=ABCDEFG&#34;. </span></span></code></pre></div><p>As of writing, <a href="https://help.instagram.com/2599848706833869">Instagram considers this as a feature</a> and there is no way to disable it. So be careful when sharing your instagram reels on social media!</p>