Meta Defends Instagram Plus Against Spy Accusations

Meta is fighting back against accusations that its new Instagram Plus subscription lets users spy on who repeatedly watched their stories. Critics fear these tools might push people toward obsessive monitoring of their audience. The service costs $3.99 a month in the U.S., though prices shift depending on where you live, and it offers perks like extending a story by 24 hours or adding posts to your profile without sending them to followers' feeds.

A Meta representative told Fox News Digital that the feature simply displays the total count of times a story was replayed. It does not name the individuals behind those views. The subscription also adds a search bar to the viewer list, making it easier to spot specific people. Another tool called Story Preview lets paying members take a quick peek at someone else's content without appearing on that person's list.

"Instagram Plus does not give subscribers more information about other people's viewing habits," the representative stated. The company said it built these paid features to provide users with more connection, expression, and control.

TikTok user @suhaadada tried the service on a free trial and declared she was ready to quit Instagram forever. She argued that showing a replay number could make a second view feel more important than it actually is. Someone might swipe past a story quickly and then go back, yet the counter would still register. What really bothered her were the timestamps next to names on her viewer list. She claimed some names jumped back to the top with fresh times, which she interpreted as proof those people had viewed her story again.

She found herself refreshing the list all day long, terrified that other subscribers could draw conclusions about her own behavior. Other users on Reddit have made similar claims regarding shifting timestamps. Those accounts have not been independently verified. Meta confirmed replay counts do not identify individual viewers but did not directly answer whether names move to the top of the viewer list with updated times.

She also objected to Story Preview because a story poster might not see everyone who took a look. Meta said subscribers can take a mini preview without appearing on the viewer list, but people posting stories get a notice explaining previews may not show up there. One TikTok user refused to renew her subscription. Other critics have been just as blunt. One Reddit commenter called the features "stalker central," while another wrote, "PLEASE paywall instagram so i will finally delete the app.