Instagram will implement new measures to prevent users from taking screenshots or screen-recording images and videos intended for one-time viewing, as part of its ongoing efforts in Instagram sextortion prevention on the platform. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, announced these features on Thursday, aimed at protecting teenagers from being manipulated into sharing intimate images with scammers who subsequently blackmail them.
In addition to this, tools previously tested—such as blurring nude images in messages and hiding users’ followers and following lists from potential sextortion accounts—will become permanent features. This initiative comes in response to warnings from the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, which stated that social media companies could face fines if they fail to safeguard children effectively. The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) welcomed these developments as a “step in the right direction.” However, Richard Collard, associate head of child safety online policy at NSPCC, raised concerns about why Meta is not extending similar protections to all its products, including WhatsApp, where grooming and sextortion are also prevalent.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Law enforcement agencies worldwide have reported an increase in sextortion scams across social media platforms, particularly targeting teenage boys. According to the UK’s Internet Watch Foundation, 91% of the sextortion reports it received in 2023 involved boys. The new tools will prevent users from taking screenshots of images and videos sent through Instagram’s Direct Messages that utilize the “view once” or “allow replay” features. This restriction will also apply to the web version of Instagram.
Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of global safety, announced a new Instagram campaign to educate children and parents on recognizing sextortion attempts, especially if perpetrators attempt to circumvent the platform’s detection tools. “We have built-in protections so that parents do not have to do a thing to try and protect their teens,” she told BBC News. However, she acknowledged that sextortionists are constantly seeking ways to bypass these measures.
Sextortion, which involves scammers tricking individuals into sharing sexually explicit content before blackmailing them, has become a prevalent form of online abuse. The shame, stress, and isolation experienced by victims—often threatened with the public sharing of their images if they do not pay—have tragically driven some to take their own lives.
Ros Dowey, mother of 16-year-old Murray Dowey, who took his life in 2023 after being targeted by a sextortion gang on Instagram, previously stated that Meta was not doing “nearly enough to safeguard and protect our children when they use their platforms.”
Meta’s new safety features aim to enhance the existing tools available to teens and their parents. The platform will also hide users’ followers and following lists from potential sextortion accounts. Sextortion expert Paul Raffile noted that scammers often search for high schools and youth sports teams on social media to identify potential targets.
Meta is currently transitioning users under 18 into Teen Account experiences on Instagram, which will come with stricter default settings and require parental supervision for younger teens to disable them. Some parents and experts have expressed concern that the responsibility for spotting and reporting potential threats has been shifted onto them.
Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of Ofcom, emphasized that ensuring safety online is the responsibility of the firms, not parents or children, especially with the implementation of the Online Safety Act scheduled for next year. This enhanced focus on Instagram sextortion prevention reflects the platform’s commitment to creating a safer environment for its users, particularly vulnerable teenagers.
