Senate members invite party to Instagram to close the new map feature, referring to children’s safety fears

Sens. Marsha BlackBurn, R-Tenn. , Richard Blumenthal, D-Connn. They press for Instagram new map feature To be stopped, which raises questions about the potential risks of children’s safety.

In a letter to the CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, legislators argued that children could be on the path of harm after the launch of the new map tool, which allows users to share their direct location with their followers.

“For years, we started an alert regarding the site’s actual participation on social media platforms-specifically when it comes to users under the legal age-we urge you once again to protect the safety of children instead of exposing their site to dangerous individuals online, including children and merchants.”

Meta said in a press statement that Instagram users can participate in the use of the map tool and may also choose followers who can see their sites. Users can stop the feature at any time. The user’s website is updated whenever the application opens or returns to the application if it is running in the background.

Robby Starbuck, Meta setting

The press statement indicated that the new feature is turned off until the user chooses.

Meta also said that the parents who are prepared to supervise the application of their child will get a notice if their child begins to share their site.

“If you are one of the parents with the supervision of your adolescence, you will have a governing experience of sites on the map,” the press statement said. “You will receive a notification if your teenager starts sharing his site, giving you the opportunity to have important conversations about how to participate safely with friends. You can decide whether the teenager has access to the site’s participation on the map and know who your teenager shares his site.”

Instagram president Adam Museri said on Thursday that the company is working on design improvements “as soon as possible.”

But although Meta asserted that the sites of users will remain closed unless the new tool enables, Senators said that some people had reported their website to be involved automatically without their approval.

Senator criticizes the role of Big Tech in copyright -protected books for artificial intelligence training purposes for artificial intelligence training purposes

“This addition is the reason for a special concern for us when it comes to active children and adolescents on Instagram.” “Meta platforms are consciously designed to set profit priorities to protect their most vulnerable users: our children.”

“While Meta argued that parents who have settings supervision of their children’s accounts have control of their site settings, it is clear that the current parental controls are not enough,” the message continued. “Meta made it difficult for parents to understand or benefit parental controls, which leads to abuse, exploitation and harm to these wealthy children.”

BlackBurn and Blumenthal also argued that the Meta record when it comes to protecting children online is “Spin”.

“As you know, children often accept the requests to follow individuals who do not know them personally,” the lawmakers wrote. “Allowing children to share their site in the actual time and show them easily as they take pictures of strangers-who may be the people of the children and their merchants-only more of the dangers faced by children via the Internet because of your failure.”

The descriptive message was accused of “over and again” showing that it will always fail to protect the lives of children unless Congress passes legislation.

Get Fox Business on the Go by clicking here

Blackburn and a diploma have already raised concerns about protecting children’s safety on Meta, which includes Instagram and Facebook.

Last year, the couple sponsored the online safety law for children, which approved the Senate last summer but did not pass the council. The measure was re -submitted in May.

Senators also wrote a letter to Meta in April, and called for accountability about allegations that the company “fails to protect users under the legal age from sexually explicit discussions with a new category of digital chat that works artificial intelligence.”

The lawmakers wrote on Friday: “The geographical positioning of minors on your platform is just another example of this sad reality.” “We urge you to abandon the Instagram map feature immediately and instead, prove meaningful protection for children online – it is not worth less.”

Fox Business arrived at Meta for comment.