US Senators Urge Meta to Disable Instagram Map Over Child Safety

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have formally urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to disable Instagram's new map feature, which shares users' real-time locations, citing serious concerns about child safety. The senators warn that the feature could expose minors to dangers such as pedophiles and human traffickers, and that parental controls are insufficient and difficult to navigate, with reports of locations being shared without consent. They criticized Meta's track record on protecting children, highlighting past incidents involving AI chatbots engaging in explicit conversations with minors and the platform's prioritization of profit over safety. Despite Meta's claim that the feature is opt-in and location sharing is limited to selected friends, the lawmakers argue that the risks to vulnerable users outweigh these assurances. Blackburn and Blumenthal call for immediate suspension of the feature and advocate for legislative action, including the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, to ensure stronger protections for children online. The senators emphasize that online child safety cannot rely solely on tech companies' voluntary measures.