Kokcha News Agency** – Instagram’s recently launched “Map” feature, which allows users to share their location on the app, has drawn sharp criticism from attorneys general in 37 U.S. states. In a joint letter led by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, they urged Meta to take immediate action, citing significant risks to minors and user privacy.
The feature, introduced on August 6, enables users to share their real-time location, raising concerns that it could expose children to potential predators. The attorneys general called for the feature to be disabled by default for minors and for Meta to provide clear information on how location data is used.
The letter warned, “Unrestricted location sharing could make children real-world targets for sexual exploitation.”
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri defended the feature, stating that it requires users to opt-in twice and that confusion among users has been minimal. However, many users reported difficulties in disabling the feature, with some sharing screenshots of friends’ locations without consent.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone argued that the Map feature is off by default and can be easily disabled by users, while parents can control their children’s location sharing. However, the attorneys general demanded a simpler solution to allow users to turn off the feature more easily.
The controversy has also reached Congress, with Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal calling on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to remove the Map feature. Meta is already under pressure due to past failures in protecting children and ongoing lawsuits, including one from New Mexico over allegations of exposing minors to sexual content and harassment messages.
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Instagram, Meta, ChildSafety, Privacy, KokchaNews
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