U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to discontinue Instagram’s new map feature, citing concerns about the safety of children who use the platform.
In a letter addressed to Zuckerberg, the senators stated: “We write to express our concern with the introduction of Instagram’s new map feature, which would allow individuals to share their location in real time with users around the world. For years, we have sounded the alarm regarding real time location sharing on social media platforms—specifically when it comes to underage users—and we again urge you to protect children’s safety instead of potentially exposing their location to dangerous individuals online, including pedophiles and traffickers.”
The senators highlighted that while Meta claims the feature is inactive unless users opt in, there have been reports from consumers indicating that their locations were shared without consent. They expressed particular concern for children and teens using Instagram. According to them: “Instagram’s new Map feature will share a user’s last active location with other individuals using the application. While Meta has argued that the feature is inactive unless users opt in to sharing their location, some consumers have reported that their location was automatically shared without their consent. This addition is a cause of particular concern for us when it comes to children and teens that are active on Instagram. Meta’s platforms have been consciously designed to prioritize profit over the protection of its most vulnerable users: our children. While Meta has argued that parents with supervision settings on their children’s accounts have control over their location settings, it is clear that existing parental controls are not sufficient. Meta has made it difficult for parents to fully understand or utilize parental controls, leading to abuse, exploitation, and victimization of these precious children.”
Blackburn and Blumenthal also criticized Meta’s history regarding child safety online. They referenced recent incidents involving AI chatbots interacting inappropriately with minors and noted past investigations showing Instagram algorithms promoting content related to underage sex and facilitating contact between minors and adults. The letter continued: “Meta’s track record on protecting children online—even in recent days—is abysmal. From deploying AI chatbots that engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors to continuing to use kids as products, one can only assume that Instagram’s introduction of real time location sharing will be used to further addict children to social media. Investigations have found in the past that Instagram’s algorithms promote underage-sex content and often facilitate communication between minors and adults. As you know, children often accept follow requests from individuals they do not know personally. Allowing children to share their real time location and more readily displaying where they take pictures to strangers—many of whom may be pedophiles and traffickers—will only increase the dangers children face online due to your inaction. Your company has repeatedly shown that it will always fail to protect children’s lives—unless we pass legislation like the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. Allowing the geolocation of minors on your platform is just the latest example of this sad reality. We urge you to immediately abandon Instagram’s map feature and instead institute meaningful protections for children online—they deserve nothing less.”
This letter follows ongoing efforts by lawmakers such as Blackburn and Blumenthal seeking greater accountability from technology companies regarding child safety measures.
