Instagram Takes Minor Steps to Combat Inappropriate Exploitation of Teens

According to SaedNews, as reported by Fars News and the Washington Post, Instagram has become one of the most popular platforms among teenagers in recent years. However, this popularity has come with serious and concerning harms that Meta (the owner of Instagram) has unfortunately ignored for a long time.

Issues like self-esteem problems, inappropriate harassment, depression, and anxiety are some of the harms teenagers have faced on this platform. Documents leaked by former Meta executive Frances Haugen revealed that the company has been aware of Instagram's negative effects on teenagers' mental health for years but prioritized commercial interests over user health.

Now, after years of neglect and in response to public and legal pressure, Instagram has begun taking steps to protect teenagers. Instagram says it is launching a set of new settings to combat sextortion, a type of blackmail that uses inappropriate images or conversations to pressure victims into paying money. Meta has now acknowledged that this crime is on the rise, with some organized groups working together to pressure teenagers into sharing inappropriate photos.

The company announced on Thursday that it will implement settings like hiding teenagers' follower lists from potential blackmailers, making it harder for criminals to connect with young people. Meta added that it will provide more resources to educate teenagers on the signs of sexual scams. Instagram will also display a video in the feeds of teenagers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia on how to recognize inappropriate extortion scams.

The app's inappropriate protection feature, which blurs potentially nude images and warns teens before sending such images, will be activated for teenage accounts worldwide. Additionally, other users will no longer be able to take screenshots of temporary messages in the app's chat. This was one of the methods scammers used to obtain private images. Antigone Davis, Meta's global head of safety, confirmed these measures in an interview.

Interestingly, these capabilities are being implemented in a limited number of specific countries, despite inappropriate extortion and its related harms being a global issue. This indicates that Meta still has a selective approach to protecting its users. The company has faced protests from parents and lawmakers regarding teen safety online and recently launched new teenage accounts with more protection and better parental oversight.

However, critics argue that Meta uses gradual security improvements to distract from larger issues (such as Instagram's alleged negative effects on children's and teenagers' health).

Meta said it has removed 63,000 accounts related to extortion rings. Last year, 41 US states sued Meta for creating addictive features in its apps. A handful of states, including Florida and Ohio, have passed laws to limit social media use among teenagers. Meanwhile, some advocates and lawmakers argue that tech giants like Meta should publicly share their internal research on teen safety and take legal responsibility for the content that appears in their apps.