Senators Demand Instagram Scrap New Map Feature Over Child Safety Fears
The lawmakers also accused Meta of having an “abysmal” record of protecting minors, citing past incidents in which AI chatbots engaged in sexually explicit conversations with underage users.
Instagram’s latest update is drawing fierce backlash from Capitol Hill. Two bipartisan U.S. senators are calling on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to immediately shut down a controversial new map feature that shows users’ real-time locations — warning it could expose children to predators and traffickers. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a strongly worded letter to Mark Zuckerberg Friday, accusing Meta of prioritizing profit over the safety of its youngest users.
“This addition is a cause of particular concern for us when it comes to children and teens,” the senators wrote. “Meta’s platforms have been consciously designed to prioritize profit over the protection of its most vulnerable users: our children.”
Concerns Over Real-Time Tracking
The Instagram Maps feature, rolled out last week, allows users to opt in to share their live location on a public map. Location updates occur whenever the Instagram app is opened or brought to the foreground, making it possible for others to track where users are in near real time.
While Meta insists the feature is off by default, some users have reported finding their locations visible without enabling it. The senators warned that children who accept follow requests from strangers — including “pedophiles and traffickers” — could unknowingly be sharing sensitive location data.
Big Tech’s track record of protecting children is abysmal—Meta’s new Instagram map feature is no different. Our nation’s children deserve meaningful online protections. Meta must abandon this dangerous feature. https://t.co/BgIuUYmT2y
Meta says that parents using supervision settings can control location permissions, but Blackburn and Blumenthal argue those tools are too complex to be effective.
“Meta has made it difficult for parents to fully understand or utilize parental controls, leading to abuse, exploitation, and victimization of these precious children,” the letter states.
The lawmakers also accused Meta of having an “abysmal” record of protecting minors, citing past incidents in which AI chatbots engaged in sexually explicit conversations with underage users.
Legislative Push for Child Protection
This is not the first time Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have confronted Meta over child safety. Both senators co-sponsored the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, reintroduced earlier this year, which seeks to impose stricter safeguards on social media platforms.
They argue that Instagram’s map feature is the latest example of why such legislation is urgently needed. “Your company has repeatedly shown that it will always fail to protect children’s lives — unless we pass legislation,” the letter asserts.
Meta’s Response
In a statement to the press, a Meta spokesperson emphasized that “Instagram Map is off by default” and that live locations are only visible to users whom someone follows back or to a custom, private list. The company did not directly address reports of automatic sharing.
For now, the map feature remains active — but with bipartisan political pressure mounting, its future is uncertain. As the senators’ warning makes clear, the debate over balancing tech innovation with online child safety is far from over.
