Instagram Strengthens Safety Measures to Combat Sextortion and Protect Teens

Instagram is taking a proactive stance against online exploitation with a new wave of safety features designed to protect users, especially teens, from sextortion scams. These updates aim to improve the privacy of direct messages and limit unwanted interactions from suspicious accounts.

One of the biggest changes is the removal of the ability to screen capture or record disappearing content sent in private messages. Previously, users could capture fleeting images or videos, even if the sender was aware of them. Now, if you send a photo or video using the “view once” or “allow replay” options, the recipient will not be able to save it. This restriction also extends to the desktop version of Instagram, preventing users from bypassing security measures.

The move goes beyond Snapchat’s approach to ephemeral content, which allows screenshots with only notification to the sender. Instagram ensures that content that is meant to disappear actually disappears.

These new features complement the recently launched Teen Accounts, which provide younger users with a safer app experience by limiting who can contact them. Teen accounts prevent users from receiving messages from accounts they don’t follow, but still allow follow requests from anyone.

To address this issue, Instagram is now making it harder for suspicious accounts, such as newly created ones, to request to follow teens. Depending on the perceived trustworthiness of the account, Instagram will block the follow request entirely or redirect it to the teen’s spam folder.

These updates demonstrate Instagram’s commitment to user safety and its efforts to combat online exploitation, particularly sextortion scams that often target young people. By strengthening privacy controls and limiting unwanted interactions, Instagram creates a safer online environment for its users.