Instagram has rolled out new features aimed at stopping a dangerous crime called sextortion. Sextortion is when scammers trick people, especially teens, into sending private or explicit images and then blackmail them by threatening to share those images if they don’t receive money or other demands. These new changes by Instagram’s parent company, Meta, are part of their ongoing effort to make the platform safer for young users.

What’s New on Instagram?

To prevent sextortion, Instagram will now stop people from taking screenshots or screen recordings of images and videos that are meant to be viewed only once. For instance, if someone sends a picture or video in Instagram’s Direct Messages using the “view once” option, the recipient won’t be able to save it by taking a screenshot or recording the screen. This is a big step in protecting people from having their intimate photos stolen and used against them.

Instagram has been testing tools that blur out nude images in messages, and those features are now being made permanent. Another important tool is the ability to hide follower and following lists from potential sextortion accounts. This prevents scammers from targeting teens by searching for them in follower lists of certain schools or sports teams.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a UK charity that fights child abuse, has praised these moves, calling them “a step in the right direction.” However, they have also questioned why Meta hasn’t introduced similar protections on other platforms like WhatsApp, where grooming and sextortion also happen frequently.

The Growing Threat of Sextortion

Reports of sextortion are on the rise, especially on social media platforms like Instagram. Law enforcement agencies across the world have noticed an alarming increase in these scams, with teenage boys being the main targets. The UK’s Internet Watch Foundation revealed that 91% of sextortion cases they handled in 2023 involved boys. This shows how important it is for platforms like Instagram to strengthen their safety features to protect teens.

How Meta is Responding

Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of global safety, said the new changes are part of a broader effort to give parents and teens the tools they need to stay safe online. Meta has launched a new campaign that educates both teens and their parents on how to recognize and avoid sextortion attempts.

“We’ve created built-in protections so that parents don’t need to do anything extra to protect their teens,” Davis told BBC News. “However, we also know that sextortion scammers will keep trying to find ways around our protections, so it’s a continuous effort.”

Despite these efforts, many experts believe more can be done. Sextortion is a crime where scammers trick people into sending private photos and then use those photos to demand money or favors. Victims often feel ashamed, stressed, and scared, which can lead to severe emotional trauma. Tragically, some victims have even taken their own lives due to the pressure and harassment.

The Story of Murray Dowey

One of the most heartbreaking cases of sextortion was that of 16-year-old Murray Dowey. Murray took his own life in 2023 after being targeted by a sextortion gang on Instagram. His mother, Ros Dowey, has spoken out, saying that Meta isn’t doing nearly enough to protect teens using its platforms.

Meta’s new safety features are designed to build on the existing tools available to teens and their parents. These tools include blurring inappropriate images and hiding follower lists to prevent scammers from finding and targeting teens. For example, sextortion experts say that scammers often look for high schools or youth sports teams on social media, then find their next target by going through the follower lists.

Teen Safety on Instagram

Meta has also moved under-18s into “Teen Account” experiences on Instagram. This means stricter settings are automatically turned on, and younger teens need parental supervision to turn them off. These safety settings are meant to make Instagram a safer space for teens, but some parents feel that more should be done. They argue that the burden of reporting potential threats is still on the teens and parents, which can be overwhelming.

Ofcom, the UK’s communications watchdog, is set to hold social media companies accountable. Ofcom’s chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, has stressed that it’s not just up to parents and children to stay safe online—it’s the responsibility of the companies themselves. In 2024, the UK’s Online Safety Act will be implemented, meaning platforms like Instagram could face heavy fines if they don’t protect users, especially children, from harm.

Built-in Protections Aren’t Foolproof

Meta has introduced many safety features, but experts warn that sextortion scammers are constantly finding new ways to get around these protections. While the new tools are a great start, it’s a constant battle between keeping users safe and outsmarting cybercriminals.

It’s essential that teens and parents stay informed and alert about the risks of sextortion. Meta’s new campaign aims to do just that—educating users about how to identify and prevent these scams. The hope is that by being more aware, teens will be less likely to fall into the traps set by scammers.