London – Instagram has announced new tools to protect young users from sexual extortion and other forms of image abuse. One of the key features being tested is the automatic blurring of nudity in direct messages. This initiative comes as part of the platform’s efforts to combat sexual scams and make it more difficult for criminals to target teens.
Sexual extortion, commonly known as sextortion, involves coercing individuals into sending explicit photos with the threat of making them public unless certain demands are met. Recent cases involving two Nigerian brothers in Michigan and a Virginia sheriff’s deputy highlight the seriousness of this issue. Instagram, along with other social media companies, has faced criticism for not doing enough to safeguard young users.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms, issued an apology to the parents of victims during a Senate hearing earlier this year. While Meta owns Facebook and WhatsApp as well, the nudity blur feature will only be implemented in Instagram’s direct messages.
Instagram shared that scammers often use direct messages to request intimate images from users. To address this, the platform will soon begin testing a nudity-protection feature for direct messages. This feature will automatically blur any images containing nudity and prompt users to reconsider before sending such content.
The new feature will be activated by default for users under 18, while adult users will receive a notification encouraging them to enable it. Additionally, users will have the option to view blurred images with a warning, block the sender, and report the chat if necessary. Instagram is also developing technology to identify accounts potentially involved in sexual extortion scams.
In an effort to prevent criminals from reaching young users, Instagram will take preventive measures such as hiding the “message” button on teen profiles from potential sextortion accounts. The platform is exploring ways to further protect teens from such accounts and enhance overall safety measures.
Authorities have raised concerns about a significant increase in sextortion cases targeting children, including financially motivated sextortion. The FBI reported a surge in such cases involving minor victims, with boys between the ages of 14 to 17 being commonly targeted. This trend underscores the importance of implementing robust measures to safeguard young users from online exploitation.