Insta360

Arashi Vision Inc. (影石创新科技股份有限公司; pinyin: Yǐngshí Chuàngxīn Kējì Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), doing business as Insta360, is a Chinese camera company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. It is known for its action cameras and 360-degree cameras, including the flagship X-series and the miniature GO series. The company has partnered with Leica on some of its products, and its professional cameras have been used by NASA for live streaming events. In 2024, the company reported $780M in revenue and $131M in net profit.

History

Insta360 was founded in 2015 by CEO J. K. Liu (刘靖康). Liu and his co-founders met while studying computer science at Nanjing University.[1] According to Nikkei Asia, Liu's interest in 360-degree camera technology was inspired by attending a music concert, which motivated him to develop products for recording and sharing large-scale events. After graduating, Liu and his team moved to Shenzhen to establish the company.[1]

The company's first products included a live-streaming smartphone app, followed by an accessory that converted a smartphone into a 360-degree camera.[1]

Controversy

Data privacy and security concerns

In January 2025, an investigative report by Newsweek raised significant concerns about the security of Insta360 cameras, which are used by U.S. military personnel and NASA. The research, conducted by U.S. security specialists from Parallax Research and another unnamed firm, found that the devices communicated with 276 foreign endpoints, including servers in China and Russia. These endpoints reportedly included entities such as Huawei, ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok), and Chinese state-owned telecoms. Additionally, the associated mobile app was alleged to collect extensive user data, including the device's IMEI number, third-party login information, and user interests. Audio data captured by the cameras was also found to be transmitted to servers belonging to iFlyTek, a Chinese company currently sanctioned by the U.S. government on national security grounds. The study's findings led to calls for stricter vetting of foreign-made technology in sensitive environments.[11]

Wi-Fi security vulnerability

In 2022, a significant security flaw was reported concerning certain Insta360 camera models, such as the Insta360 ONE X2. The vulnerability allowed unauthorized access to users' photos and videos. The cameras were found to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal with a network name that included part of the camera's serial number. The password for this network was an unchangeable, universal default on all affected devices (e.g., "88888888" for the ONE X2). Anyone within range could connect to the camera's Wi-Fi and, by following a simple URL, access and download the camera's content directly through a web browser without further authentication. The vulnerability was even claimed to allow root access to the camera over Wi-Fi, potentially enabling an attacker to inject malware onto the camera's SD card. Insta360 stated they were aware of the issue and were working on a firmware update to allow users to change the password and to terminate the directory listing function that permitted easy browser access. Later models like the X3 and X4 have since allowed users to change their Wi-Fi passwords.[12][13]

Undisclosed sponsorships and marketing ethics

In 2024, controversy arose following allegations from content creators, including high-profile YouTubers, that Insta360's marketing team was instructing them not to disclose that their review videos were sponsored. This practice was criticized as a violation of regulatory guidelines, such as those set by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which mandate clear and conspicuous disclosure of any "material connection" between an endorser and a marketer. Critics accused the company of deliberately attempting to mislead viewers by presenting paid promotional content as organic, unbiased reviews, leading to public boycotts by some creators. Insta360 later characterized this as an "isolated incident" caused by new hires and stated they would implement corrective policies to ensure proper disclosure.[14]

native name	影石创新科技股份有限公司
native name lang	zh
type	Public
traded as	sse: 688775
industry	Technology videography photography consumer electronics
founded	2015
founder	JK Liu
hq location city	Shenzhen, Guangdong
hq location country	China
area served	Worldwide
products	Action camera 360 camera Video editing software Mobile apps
brands	Insta360
divisions	North America Japan China Europe
website	insta360.com

History

Product lines

Consumer camera lines

Software

Controversy

Data privacy and security concerns

Wi-Fi security vulnerability

Undisclosed sponsorships and marketing ethics

External links

References