Earlier this month Instagram launched a “Map” feature for all U.S. users that displays a user’s profile picture and real-time location on a map visible to any mutual followers.
The Utah News Dispatch reports it quickly faced backlash from privacy advocates who warn against sharing highly personal data with an intermediary like Meta.
That includes the 37 attorneys general, who sent a letter to Instagram executive Adam Mosseri, saying the new feature raises public safety and data privacy concerns.
The Aug.16 letter asks the social media company to prohibit minors from enabling location-sharing; provide clear alerts to adult users about the feature’s risks, including how location data will be used. It asks the platform to allow adult users who opt in to easily disable the feature at any time.
In a response, a Meta spokesperson said the app’s real-time location feature already addresses the issues the attorneys general raise.
The spokesperson said the feature is off by default, and parents get a notification if their teen starts using the Map, and can block their access at any time.
Utah is pursuing several legal challenges to the legality of how social media companies interact with minors, including claims against major social media companies Meta, TikTok and Snap Inc.
