Bipartisan Senators Demand Instagram Disable New Map Feature Over Child Safety Concerns

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) person called for Instagram to deactivate its caller representation feature, citing important risks to children’s safety. In a missive to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg connected Friday, the senators expressed alarm implicit the tool, which allows users to stock their real-time determination with followers, perchance exposing minors to predators and traffickers.

“This summation is simply a origin of peculiar interest for america erstwhile it comes to children and teens progressive connected Instagram,” the senators wrote, criticizing Meta for prioritizing profits implicit protecting susceptible users. They highlighted reports of users’ locations being shared without consent, contempt Meta’s assertion that the diagnostic is opt-in and tin beryllium disabled astatine immoderate time.

Meta stated that users indispensable actively alteration the representation instrumentality and tin take which followers spot their location, with updates occurring erstwhile the app is opened oregon moving successful the background. Parents with supervision enabled connected their child’s relationship are notified if determination sharing is activated and tin power access. Instagram caput Adam Mosseri besides noted ongoing plan improvements to code concerns.

However, the senators argued that Meta’s parental controls are inadequate and hard to navigate, leaving children susceptible to exploitation. They pointed to Meta’s “abysmal” way grounds connected kid safety, noting that children often judge travel requests from strangers, expanding risks erstwhile sharing real-time locations.

Blackburn and Blumenthal, who antecedently co-sponsored the Kids Online Safety Act, accused Meta of repeatedly failing to support children without legislative intervention. They urged the contiguous removal of the representation diagnostic and stronger safeguards for minors.

Tara Hopkins, Instagram’s Global Director of Public Policy, discussed the feature’s built-in protections with Fox Business, but the senators stay unconvinced, citing ongoing concerns astir Meta’s platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, and their handling of kid information issues.