Summary
Lawmakers from both political parties are asking Meta, the company behind Instagram, to get rid of a new map feature on the app. They are worried that this feature could put children at risk by allowing their locations to be shared. Meta says the feature is off by default and users can choose who sees their location.
Key Facts
- Lawmakers want Meta to shut down Instagram’s new map feature over child safety concerns.
- The feature lets users share their location and view a map with others in direct messages.
- Content from this feature appears for 24 hours.
- Notifications are sent to parents if their children share locations, and parents can turn off the feature.
- Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, suggesting stronger safety measures.
- They cited past instances where automated systems failed to protect children adequately.
- Meta states that the map feature is off by default, and users must manually turn it on.
- Location sharing is limited to people the user follows back or a select list.
