Alabama attorney general joins coalition in urging Instagram to change location-sharing feature

Montgomery, Ala. (WRBL) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Thursday that he has joined the call for Instagram to strengthen location privacy protections.

Marshall reportedly joined 37 attorneys general in urging Instagram to make immediate changes to its newly implemented location-sharing feature.

“Location data is among the most sensitive and valuable information collected today, and yet, it’s often carelessly shared by social media platforms without users fully understanding the consequences,” Marshall said. “This isn’t just about data, it’s about real people being put at real risk.”

“As a public servant and as a parent, I find it unacceptable that platforms like Instagram continue to prioritize profits over the safety and privacy of everyday Americans. It’s long past time they take responsibility and implement serious safeguards to protect users from harm.”

The attorneys general outlined serious public safety and data privacy concerns about the change in a letter to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri. The change allows users’ precise locations to be displayed on a map in which the coalition emphasized that such tools could be exploited.

They highlighted the dangers for vulnerable users including children and domestic violence survivors, noting that tools like the location feature can be exploited by predators, stalkers, and other malicious actors.

The letter calls on Instagram to: 

• Ensure that minors cannot enable location-sharing features.
• Send a clear alert to all adult users explaining the feature, outlining its risks, and providing full disclosure of how Instagram will use their location data.
• For adults who choose to opt in, provide a simple, easy-to-access control to disable location sharing at any time.

Full letter to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri

The attorneys general stressed that implementing these measures will protect user privacy and allow informed adults to choose whether to share their location or not.