Facebook and Instagram have now introduced a privacy protocol and put an immediate ban on developers using their data for surveillance purposes.

This protocol was implemented due to previous attempts by certain police forces using social media to track individuals who were involved in recent protests across the globe. The attempts caused huge uproar amongst those who were involved as their details were then exposed.

Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, has now changed its policies regarding the matter on both social networking sites.

As reported by The Guardian, Executive director of the Centre for Media Justice, Malikia Cyril said “It’s very important right now that tech companies like Facebook take a stand to be human rights champions, because otherwise they’ll be used to violate human rights”.

Protecting users privacy

These changes, which have now been implemented, means third party companies or developers can no longer track users of the more prominent social media sites, as they can no longer create tools which obstruct the privacy system.

Director at the ACLU of California, Nicole Ozer said: “Now more than ever, we expect companies to slam shut any surveillance side doors and make sure nobody can use their platforms to target people of color and activists”.

The social media giants are not the first to block such activity. Last year Twitter blocked all types of intelligence from looking into the accounts of their users.

Edited from sources by Ella Donaldson