01
The short answer
Your imported Instagram follower files are used for local analysis in your browser. Social Janitor does not need to send those files to its servers just to calculate Mutual, Following only and Followers only relationships.
The files you select can be read and compared in the browser rather than being uploaded as raw Instagram follower data for processing.
02
What happens in your browser
When you select the relevant Instagram JSON files, Social Janitor reads the follower and following records needed for the comparison.
Those records are used to build your relationship lists and, when you use snapshot features, to compare one imported state with another.
This local approach is also why you can inspect follower relationships without connecting Social Janitor directly to your Instagram account.
For the full workflow, see how Social Janitor works from Instagram export to follower lists.
03
Social Janitor does not need your Instagram password
You request the export from Instagram yourself and then select the files you want to analyze.
Social Janitor does not need your Instagram password to compare the records in those files.
Social Janitor support does not need your Instagram password to troubleshoot an import or explain your results.
If this is your main concern, also read how to check Instagram non-followers without giving away your password.
04
Account and billing data are separate from your follower export
A paid service still needs certain account and billing information to operate subscriptions, payments and access.
That is separate from the Instagram follower files you import for local analysis.
In other words, subscription-related data and imported follower data have different purposes and should not be treated as the same thing.
05
What about saved snapshots?
Snapshot features let you keep points in time so you can compare a later Instagram export with an earlier one.
Those snapshots are part of the local follower-analysis workflow. They exist so Social Janitor can determine which relationships appeared or disappeared between imported exports.
For more about the comparison itself, see how to track Instagram follower changes over time.
07
Read the full privacy details
This help article focuses specifically on imported Instagram follower data. The full Data & Privacy page explains the broader handling of local data, account information, billing and analytics.
Read Data & Privacy, or open the free preview to see the local import workflow yourself.