A bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys general is urging Meta to disable Instagram’s new Map feature for minors, citing major safety and privacy concerns—especially for children.

As first reported by the New York Post, in a letter to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, the AGs warned that the feature, which launched without prior announcement on August 6, allows users to share their precise location in real-time—potentially exposing children to predators. “Unrestricted location-sharing features pose a particular risk for minors,” the letter reads. “We have serious concerns that this feature will increase the likelihood of hands-on abuse and exploitation.”

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez led the effort, joined by counterparts including Texas’s Ken Paxton and Illinois’s Kwame Raoul. The AGs demanded that Meta disable the feature for users under 18, issue clear safety alerts, and implement easier opt-out mechanisms for those who had already enabled it.

The concerns follow widespread user backlash. Some Instagram users reported receiving unsolicited screenshots of their location, prompting fears of stalking and tracking. One user posted on Threads, “My friends were screenshotting my location and sending it to me while we were scrambling trying to remove it.”

Mosseri attempted to downplay the criticism, claiming users had to opt in and were given two consent prompts. A Meta spokesperson told Newsmax the feature is off by default and includes parental notifications and controls.

But the AGs remain unconvinced. “Meta and Instagram have a responsibility to prioritize user safety over product novelty,” the letter stated.

The controversy adds to Meta’s mounting legal woes. New Mexico is currently suing the tech giant over alleged child exploitation on its platforms, and federal regulators have spotlighted similar concerns during an ongoing FTC antitrust trial.

As scrutiny intensifies, lawmakers and child safety advocates are calling on Meta to permanently disable the Map feature for underage users.