logo
Instagram Nudity
File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Oct. 14, 2022. Instagram says it’s testing out new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages. The social media platform said in a blog post on Thursday, April 11, 2024 that the new features are part of its work to fight sexual scams and other forms of “image abuse” and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teens. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Instagram begins blurring nudity in messages to protect teens and fight sexual extortion

Instagram says it’s testing out new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages

By KELVIN CHAN
Published - Apr 11, 2024, 07:12 AM ET
Last Updated - Apr 11, 2024, 07:12 AM EDT

LONDON (AP) — Instagram said it's deploying new new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages.

The social media platform said in a blog post Thursday that it's testing out the new features as part of its campaign to fight sexual scams and other forms of “image abuse,” and to make it tougher for criminals to contact teens.

Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors. Recent high-profile cases include two Nigerian brothers who pleaded guilty to sexually extorting teen boys and young men in Michigan, including one who took his own life, and a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who sexually extorted and kidnapped a 15-year-old girl.

Our Offices
  • 10kInfo, Inc.
    13555 SE 36th St
    Bellevue, WA 98006
  • 10kInfo Data Solutions, Pvt Ltd.
    Claywork Create
    11 km, Arakere Bannerghatta Rd, Omkar Nagar, Arekere,
    Bengaluru, Karnataka 560076
4.2 12182024