Senators Demand Meta Halt Instagram's New Map Feature Amid Privacy Concerns

Senators Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee and Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut have sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, expressing serious concerns about the company's new Map feature on Instagram. They called for its immediate removal after receiving numerous complaints from users about potential privacy violations. The Map feature, which allows users to share their real-time locations to engage with local events, has raised alarms, especially among parents worried about their children's safety. Reports suggest that some users found their geotagged stories appearing on the Map without their consent, even when they opted against location sharing.

Meta has maintained that location sharing is only enabled if users explicitly agree to it. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, acknowledged these concerns and promised that the company was looking into making design improvements to prevent misunderstandings about location sharing. Blackburn and Blumenthal, both advocates for online safety regulations aimed particularly at protecting minors, have expressed their worries that this new feature could expose children to predators online, including traffickers and pedophiles.

Furthermore, their letter highlights that even though Meta argues that users need to opt in to share their location, there have been complaints about automatic sharing without user consent. The senators emphasized the risks associated with children and teens using Instagram, especially considering the inadequate uptake of parental control tools provided on platforms like Discord and Snapchat. They pointed out that existing measures for parental oversight are not sufficient and criticized Meta for complicating the implementation of these controls, leading to potential exploitation.

Blackburn and Blumenthal described Meta's history of protecting minors as poor, referencing incidents where company-developed chatbots engaged minors in inappropriate conversations. They expressed that allowing children to share their location in real-time significantly heightens the dangers they face online due to the company's negligence. In their closing remarks, they advocated for the passage of bipartisan legislation, specifically the reintroduced Kids Online Safety Act, which aims to hold social media companies accountable for protecting users under 17 and enhance parental control measures. The senators firmly urged Meta to abandon the Map feature and prioritize meaningful protections for children online.