Location sharing puts kids at risk, attorneys general charge
of ConsumerAffairsAugust 18, 2025
- 37 state attorneys general urge Meta to restrict Instagrams new real-time location-sharing tool, citing risks to children and vulnerable users.
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The feature, called Map, launched Aug. 6 and shows users profile pictures and live locations to mutual followers.
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Meta says the tool is off by default and already includes safeguards, but critics argue it prioritizes engagement over safety.
When Instagram rolled out a new feature called Map on Aug. 6, it pitched the tool as a way to help friends connect. The function allows users to share their profile picture and real-time location with anyone who follows them.
But within days, a bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys general blasted the rollout, warning that the change could make children and survivors of abuse more vulnerable.
In a letter to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, the officials said Meta failed to adequately account for the safety risks of letting users particularly minors broadcast their whereabouts live.
Unrestricted location-sharing features pose a particular risk for minors as they can be readily used by sexual predators to identify and geographically target children in the real world, the attorneys general wrote.
Why attorneys general are pushing back
The coalition is calling for specific safeguards before the feature gains traction:
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Ban minors from using real-time location sharing.
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Warn adult users clearly about risks and data usage.
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Guarantee easy opt-out so adults who enable the tool can turn it off anytime.
New Mexico Attorney General Ral Torrez, who helped spearhead the effort, said Instagrams move highlights Metas priorities.
Instagram is once again prioritizing engagement over safety, Torrez said. It is absolutely stunning that the company would allow children on the platform to enable a feature which would provide predators with even more information to target and abuse them.
Torrezs office is already suing both Meta and Snapchat parent Snap Inc., alleging that their platforms fuel child exploitation and fail to protect young users.
What parents and users can do now
While attorneys general push for stricter limits, Instagram users already have ways to control their exposure. Heres how to manage or disable theMapfeature:
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Check your settings:When the feature is introduced, youll see a notification explaining it. By default, it is turned off.
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Opt out completely:Go into Instagrams settings, find the Location Sharing or Map option, and toggle it off.
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Limit visibility:If you choose to use it, set location sharing to Close Friends instead of all followers.
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Monitor teen accounts:Parents using Instagrams supervision tools get notifications if a teen enables the feature and can block access.
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Talk about risks:Encourage kids and teens to think twice before broadcasting their live location, especially in public or unfamiliar places.
Metas defense: off by default
Meta maintains that Instagram Map was designed responsibly. The company stresses the tool is off by default, comes with an in-app notification explaining how it works, and can be disabled at any time. Parents supervising teen accounts are alerted if their child activates location sharing and can block access altogether.
Real-time location features should of course be intentionally built and give users control, a Meta spokesperson said, arguing that Instagram Map already incorporates safeguards.
Instagram also notes that teen accounts include built-in protections limiting who can contact them and what content they can see.
A history of battles over privacy and safety
The Map controversy is not happening in a vacuum. For more than a decade, Meta (formerly Facebook) has faced scrutiny from regulators and state attorneys general over how its platforms handle privacy, safety, and youth protections.
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2011 FTC settlement: Facebook agreed to 20 years of privacy audits after being accused of misleading users about how their data was shared.
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2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal: The company came under fire when millions of users data was harvested without consent for political targeting.
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2021 Facebook Papers: Leaked documents revealed internal research showing Instagram harmed teens mental health, particularly girls sparking bipartisan calls for reform.
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2023 lawsuits: Dozens of states sued Meta, alleging its algorithms knowingly addict children and exacerbate mental health issues.
These battles have sharpened concerns among regulators that Meta tends to roll out engagement-driven features first and address safety implications only after public backlash.
Engagement vs. safety the bigger debate
Critics say Instagram Map is the latest example of a design choice that privileges user engagement at the expense of security. Privacy experts note that giving Meta a company with a checkered history on data protection access to detailed, real-time location information raises fresh risks.
For predators, stalkers, or abusers, location data could become a powerful tool. And for policymakers, the feature underscores the ongoing struggle to hold tech giants accountable for the downstream consequences of their products.
The broad coalition of attorneys general spanning red and blue states alike reflects how child safety on social media has become one of the few bipartisan issues in U.S. politics.
Whether Meta alters the feature remains unclear. But the uproar suggests that location-sharing on social media will be a flashpoint in the larger fight over digital privacy, online exploitation, and the responsibilities of tech platforms.
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