Meta is ramping up its efforts to enhance teen safety on Instagram amid growing scrutiny regarding the protection of younger users on its platforms. The latest updates aim to combat sextortion, a pressing issue where scammers coerce teens into sharing intimate images, which are then used for blackmail.
As part of these enhancements, Meta plans to reroute follow requests from suspicious accounts to users’ spam folders or block them altogether. The platform will also introduce a warning system, alerting teens when they receive messages from potentially scammy accounts, particularly those located in different countries. Furthermore, if a suspected scammer is already following a teen, they will be restricted from viewing the teen’s follower lists and tagged photos. Meta has not disclosed the specific criteria used to identify these accounts but mentioned that they consider factors such as account age and mutual connections.
In addition to these measures, Meta is tightening its control over intimate content. Instagram will disable the ability to screenshot or screen record images shared through its ephemeral messaging feature. The platform will also expand its nudity protection tool, which automatically blurs explicit images shared via direct messages and offers warnings and resources when such content is detected.
Various reports and findings have revealed that social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are frequently exploited platforms for initial contact in sextortion cases. Meta is also taking proactive steps by dismantling organised groups involved in these scams, recently removing 800 Facebook groups and 820 accounts linked to a notorious sextortion network.
The urgency of these updates is underscored by a lawsuit filed by over 30 states against Meta, alleging insufficient protections for minors against online harassment, particularly on Instagram. A federal judge recently denied Meta’s motion to dismiss this lawsuit.
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