MONTGOMERY, AL (WDNews) — Citing privacy and public safety concerns, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined 36 other attorneys general in urging Instagram to modify its recently introduced location-sharing function.
The coalition said in a letter to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri that the tool, which can show a user’s exact location on a map, puts vulnerable populations including children and survivors of domestic abuse at considerable risk. They contended that predators, stalkers, and other malevolent actors might use the tool.
According to Marshall, location data is one of the most valuable and sensitive pieces of information gathered nowadays, but social media platforms frequently disclose it irresponsibly without users fully comprehending the repercussions. It’s about time they accepted accountability and put strong security measures in place to keep consumers secure.
According to the letter, Instagram should make sure that adults may simply disable location sharing at any time, prevent minors from enabling it, and clearly warn all adult users about the risks and how the data will be used.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, must prioritize safety before product innovation, the attorneys general emphasized. The Alabama Attorney General’s website has the entire letter.
