“Many of these applications bypass the Instagram security protocol, which allows users to remain undetected while using them.”

“There are a number of tools readily available to the general public to allow people to search and view a private Instagram account,” says Ondrej Krehel, Founder and CEO of Lifars, a New York City-based cybersecurity company. What’s the deal with these third-party apps? So instead, we spoke with a few cybersecurity experts to find out whether these third-party private Instagram apps are simply scams or something you should be cautious of, along with better security practices you should implement across your social accounts regardless. If your account is on a private setting, it’s likely because you want to maintain some semblance of confidentiality or to keep particular peepers out - and the knowledge that there are third-party applications out there that could give strangers or mortal enemies access to your account might sound off alarm bells.Īnd because some, if not most, of these self-proclaimed “private Instagram viewers” are likely scams trying to compromise their own users’ data, we’re not taking the chance to find out how legitimate they are first-hand. But if all else fails, as these articles suggest, you could try using a third-party application, like IGLookup, to anonymously view a private account. The first recommendation is typically to try following the account first (duh) or create a fake account and request under the alias. There are a number of disconcerting articles circulating the web, detailing step-by-step how you can (easily!) invade someone’s privacy. If you ever have the creepy urge to stalk the private account of someone you don’t follow on Instagram, one swift Google search will show you how to do it.

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