Instagram has launched a new initiative to tackle the issue of sextortion, a type of cybercrime where scammers exploit young users by threatening to reveal sensitive images unless demands are met.
In collaboration with organisations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Thorn, the platform seeks to provide both teens and their parents with tools to recognise and avoid these scams.
To raise awareness, Instagram is partnering with popular creators to engage teens and educate them about sextortion.
This campaign will be accompanied by an educational video that outlines common tactics used by scammers, such as pressuring individuals to share images or attempting to shift conversations to other platforms.
The initiative also reassures teens that falling victim to sextortion is not their fault and provides resources for seeking help.
Again, Instagram has rolled out several new safety features to disrupt potential sextortion activities. One of the most outstanding changes is the restriction on taking screenshots of images or videos sent via direct messages, particularly content set to “view once” or “allow replay.”
This update is designed to ensure that sensitive material shared on the platform remains secure and unrecorded. The platform will also prevent users who exhibit suspicious behaviour from viewing others’ follower lists, preventing them from using such information to manipulate or intimidate their targets.
For additional protection, Instagram is globally launching its nudity protection feature, which blurs images flagged as inappropriate before they can be viewed in direct messages.
This feature, enabled by default for users under 18, aims to protect teenagers from receiving unsolicited explicit content. The social network has also partnered with mental health services such as Crisis Text Line in the US to offer real-time support for users who report issues like sextortion or child exploitation.
Instagram’s focus on curbing sextortion is not limited to user education and in-app safety features. The platform is also standing against organised sextortion rings, removing thousands of accounts linked to groups involved in these criminal activities.
