© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Meta announced several new initiatives this Safer Internet Day to help protect teens from sextortion – a form of exploitation where someone threatens to share intimate images unless the victim provides more photos, sexual favours or money.
The company is expanding its ‘Take It Down’ program to more countries and languages, launching an awareness campaign, and adding resources to help teens, parents and teachers prevent sextortion.
Take It Down allows people under 18 to privately submit digital fingerprints of intimate images so Meta can find copies online and take them down. Launched last year in English and Spanish, Meta is now bringing Take It Down to more languages and countries, making it accessible to millions more teens globally.
“Making Take it Down available in 25 languages is a pivotal step towards safeguarding children from the horrors of online exploitation all over the world,” said John Shehan, a Senior Vice President with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “We aspire to ensure that every child, regardless of language or location, has the opportunity to reclaim their dignity and privacy by having their illicit content removed from participating platforms.”
Meta has also teamed up with the nonprofit organisation Thorn to create guidance for teens on regaining control if they are being sextorted. The resources, available in Meta’s Safety Center, also provide advice for parents and teachers on supporting affected teens.
At the same time, to raise awareness, Meta is launching a global campaign and working with creators and safety organisations worldwide. This builds on existing efforts to protect teens on Meta’s platforms.
The company shows Instagram users safety notices when messaging suspicious accounts, urging caution and reminding users they can refuse uncomfortable requests. Meta also directs teens to Take It Down resources when relevant.
Last month, Meta announced stricter default messaging settings on Instagram for users under 16 (and under 18 in some countries), preventing contact from strangers and providing protection against potential scammers.
This announcement follows a hearing where Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs were grilled by the US Senate Judiciary Committee about the dangers of social media for children. The hearing was about how children and teens face dangers like sexual exploitation online. It also saw families accusing Facebook and Instagram of harming their children, where these families also stood up and held up pictures of their children.
