New feature to help stop sextortion cybercrime

Instagram launched a vital educational campaign to warn teenagers about sextortion, a rising cybercrime that has tragically led some young users taking their own lives.

On Thursday, a video titled “Let’s talk about sextortion” was distributed to teens and young adults in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, highlighting red flags and providing resources for help.

Sextortion occurs when scammers impersonate teenage girls on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, coercing victims into sending explicit images, which are then used for blackmail. 

A recent investigation revealed that over two dozen minors, mainly teenage boys, have taken their lives after being targeted since 2022. 

In response, Meta has removed over 60,000 accounts linked to sextortion and plans to block suspicious accounts from accessing followers and following lists. 

A new feature on the app will now stop people from being able to screenshot or screen-record images and videos intended to be viewed once, as part of "ongoing efforts" to prevent sextortion on the platform.

In addition to the campaign, Instagram will notify users when contacted by suspicious accounts from other countries and is partnering with Crisis Text Line to provide 24/7 support for reporting safety issues.