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Instagram vs BeReal: The Privacy Debate for Social Users

Explore how Instagram's US-based features compare to BeReal's EU focus on data security and privacy. Decide which suits your privacy needs today.

Last updated: February 18, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to BeReal?

What You Gain

Gain privacy, authenticity, and control over data

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Lose diverse content features like Stories and Reels

Instagram has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy and authenticity matter more than features

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇪🇺EU

GDPR protected

Pricing

Instagram

Contact

BeReal

free

Migration
Medium difficulty~1-2 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaInstagramBeReal
Server Location
US, EUEU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Data Portability
PartialUnknown

CLOUD Act Notice

Instagram is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. BeReal is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Instagram logo

Instagram

🇺🇸

Meta

VS
Switching to
BeReal logo

BeReal

🇪🇺

BeReal

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

GDPR Compliant
EU-hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • Daily prompts encourage authentic sharing habits
  • No follower counts reduce social pressure
  • GDPR compliance ensures strict data protection
  • User-controlled data deletion enhances privacy

Things to Consider

  • !Limited features compared to Instagram's offerings
  • !Learning curve for new daily prompt system
  • !Migration pain due to lack of direct content transfer
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~1-2 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~1-2 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create BeReal account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Instagram

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to Instagram

Ready to make the switch?

Start using BeReal today and take control of your data privacy.