Instagram is internally developing a possible new feature that seems tailor-made to allow for nefarious behavior. Leaker and reverse engineer Alessando Paluzzi posted on X with the discovery of an Instagram feature billed as "read-only mode." According to the uncovered screenshots, this option allows for a session where "you can't like, comment, message, follow or view stories" on the social network, which would allow a user to browse the platform without leaving any type of paper trail about what they were viewing. It appears to be a concept for Instagram Plus accounts from the images shared.

A spokesperson from Instagram told Engadget that read-only mode "is an internal only exploration, not testing externally at all." So this feature is far from launching if it ever does, and tech platforms will regularly try out features that never see the light of day for users. But it also doesn't suggest whether there's any acknowledgement internally that this type of reduced visibility could be used for stalking or other criminal purposes. Hopefully the team can sufficiently address those safety concerns before any potential external tests or launch.