Instagram Aims To Prevent Sextortion

Uploaded on 2024-10-17 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Social Media, FREE TO VIEW

Instagram has introduced a series of new safety features aimed at stopping people from being able to screenshot or screen-record images and videos intended to be viewed once, as part of "ongoing efforts" to prevent sextortion on the platform.

Meta, the owner of Instagram, has recently announced features that are aimed at protecting teenagers from being tricked into sending intimate images to scammers and blackmailed over them.

In particular teenagers under 18 also won't be able to immediately view nude imagery sent to them via direct message. Instead, the image will be blurred and accompanied by a warning detailing the risks of sending sensitive images.

The safety changes are part of a broader campaign by Instagram designed to help teenagers and parents more easily spot sextortion scams.A previously tested tool that blurs nude images in messages, and hides the follower and following lists of users from potential sextortion accounts, will also be made permanent.

The crime typically takes place on social media platforms, typically when an extortionist pressures a teenager they've just contacted or befriended into sending explicit imagery of themselves. The criminal then frequently uses that content to demand money in exchange for keeping the images private.

These features come as the UK's communications watchdog Ofcom says that social media firms will be fined if they don’t keep children safer.

Globally, law enforcement agencies have reported a rise in the number of sextortion scams taking place across social media platforms. The UK's Internet Watch Foundation said in March 2024 that 91% of the 2023 sextortion reports related to boys.

These new tools will include preventing the ability to screenshot images and videos sent in Instagram messages with its "view once" or "allow replay" mechanisms. This can be selected by users when sending an image or video in Direct Messages. This will also apply to the Web version of Instagram.

Meta said its new safety features and campaign are designed to build on tools already available to teens and parents on the platform. It will also hide people's followers and following lists from potential sextortion accounts.

The campaign follows Instagram’s work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Thorn, a nonprofit organisation for defending children against sexual abuse.

It comes a month after the platform put out “Instagram Teen Accounts,” with a host of changes for young users. The teenage accounts are now private by default for all users younger than 18, who must manually accept new followers and can only be messaged, tagged or mentioned by people they follow.

Instagram also announced an educational video campaign shared with millions of users in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, along with collaborations with popular celebrities, creators and parent creators.

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