Instagram launches Safety Features to prevent Teen Sextortion

Responding to the rise of sextortion, Instagram is launching new safety features to help teenage victims.

Sextortion typically takes place on social media, where the perpetrator pressures a teen they’ve contacted into sending explicit pictures of themselves.

The criminal then uses the content to demand money in exchange for keeping the images private.

Instagram aims to make it harder for people to use the platform for sextortion while also educating teens and parents about the problem.

The new features include efforts to detect and block “scammy” accounts, surfacing certain safety notices, and better secure ephemeral images or videos sent via private message.

Victims who report problems related to sextortion or child safety will also see an option to connect with Crisis Text Line, which offers free crisis counselling.

Kelbi Schnabel, senior manager at Thorn, said:

“It’s a devastating threat – and joint initiatives like this that aim to inform kids about the risks and empower them to take action are crucial.”

This comes a month after Instagram launched a Teen Account, which is private by default and limits who can contact users ages 16 and younger.

Parent company Meta has been sued by plaintiffs who argued that the company has not properly protected minors from harm, or warned them of potential dangers related to using Facebook and Instagram.

In a blog post, Meta said the sextortion-prevention features should make it harder for scammers to communicate with teenagers.

Though teen accounts can’t be messaged by strangers, unknown accounts can still request to follow them.

But now, when an account demonstrates potentially “scammy” behaviour, Instagram will block or divert the follow requests it sends to a teen.

Additionally, those accounts won’t be able to see a person’s follower or following lists, which should prevent them from using those contacts and knowledge in a blackmail effort.

Extortionists often pose as teenagers and may belong to the victim’s extended social circle.

To tackle this, Meta is testing safety notices in Instagram DM and Messenger to inform users when the person they’re talking to may be in another country.

Instagram is also introducing new measures to make it harder for them to capture images shared by victims.

Soon, users will no longer be able to screenshot or screen record temporary images sent through private messages.

Additionally, on the browser version of Instagram, users won’t be able to access “view once” or “allow replay” images or videos.

For teens under 18, Instagram will automatically blur nude images sent via direct message and include a warning about the risks of sharing sensitive content.

This feature was initially tested earlier in 2024 and is now being implemented globally.

Experts stress the importance of teens reaching out for help if they feel overwhelmed by sextortion.

Instagram’s campaign also includes a new resource page with advice on how to handle sextortion and a link to NCMEC’s Take It Down tool, which helps remove images from participating platforms.

Meta also announced that it has recently removed over 800 Facebook groups and 820 accounts tied to the Yahoo Boys, an international criminal group that trains sextortion scammers.

Over the summer, the company took down more than 7,200 similar groups and accounts.