Recently, Instagram has rolled out new settings aimed at combating fraud rings and preventing teenagers from falling victim to sextortion schemes. The platform is urging parents to be more vigilant.

According to Meta, Instagram’s parent company, the use of sexual images, videos, or conversations to extort victims for money is becoming increasingly common. Criminal organizations are even coercing teenagers into sharing nude photos of themselves or their friends.

To counter this threat, Meta has introduced a series of updates to the platform’s settings. For instance, the follower lists of teenage users will automatically remove potential extortionists, making it harder for these criminals to contact teens on Instagram. Additionally, teenage users will now have access to more resources to help them recognize signs of being caught in a sextortion scam.

In the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia, teenage users will see instructional videos within their accounts that teach them how to spot sextortion scams.

Instagram has also launched a “Nudity Protection” feature that blurs images that may contain nudity and provides reminders for users to carefully select recipients before sharing such content. This feature will be available to teenage accounts worldwide.

Antigone Davis, Meta’s Global Head of Safety, mentioned that Instagram has removed the “screen capture” feature from its messaging service, as scammers were exploiting this function to obtain fleeting sensitive images.

Just recently, Meta introduced a new account feature designed to enhance protections for teenagers and make it easier for parents to monitor their children’s online activity, followed by these new settings aimed at preventing sextortion. Experts suggest that this is a response to pressure from parents and lawmakers; however, critics argue that Meta’s strategies are merely reactive and fail to address larger, systemic issues regarding the negative impacts Instagram has on the mental and physical well-being of teenagers.

Scammers often pose as individuals of the same nationality and similar age as their victims to gain trust, subsequently requesting friends to share revealing photos or videos. Once they obtain these images, they threaten victims with demands for payment or the threat of public exposure. Davis stated that the series of new features is designed to eliminate criminal activity on the platform.

Behind the scenes, Meta reports that it has shut down 63,000 accounts associated with sextortion scams, including several thousand tied to a particular group in Nigeria.

Despite Instagram’s claims of continuously enhancing protections for teenagers over the past three years, the pressure to address issues such as sexual abuse and cyberbullying remains relentless.