Instagram’s Pedophile Problem
9 months, 1 week ago

Instagram’s Pedophile Problem

Slate  

As the debate around child safety online rages on, an investigation by The New York Times found a seedy world of pedophiles interacting with child influencer accounts, often run by their parents, on Instagram. Meta sent a statement that said, in part: “Child exploitation is a horrific crime and online predators are determined criminals. We use sophisticated technology, hire child safety experts, report content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and share information and tools with other companies and law enforcement, to help root out predators. We use a range of signals to help identify these accounts, and accounts that show enough signals are automatically sent to our content reviewers, or removed from Instagram completely.” Guest: Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, investigative reporter at the New York Times.

Instagram Sophisticated Technology  safety  sophisticated  technology  instagrams  child  subscribe  york  accounts  slate  problem  pedophile  sent  signals

History of this topic

Cut risks, not potential, of social media for young with Instagram Teen Accounts
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Cut risks, not potential, of social media for young with Instagram Teen Accounts

India Today  

Being a great communication and learning tool for teenagers, managing the use of social media by them is becoming increasingly important. The idea behind Instagram Teen Accounts is to place teens in built-in protections and reassure parents that their children are having safe experiences. “Parents and educators play a vital role in managing teenagers’ social media experiences. Using these features, …

Dangers still lurk for young social media users in chatrooms like Roblox
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Dangers still lurk for young social media users in chatrooms like Roblox

ABC  

MIKE LORIGAN, REPORTER: It’s a platform millions of kids use every day. MIKE LORIGAN: In September, a predator contacted this UK mother’s nine-year-old daughter on Roblox. This is the most important thing you’re going to hear all day to keep you safe on the game, okay, if you treat Roblox like it’s a giant shopping centre, if someone asks you …

JUST SPAMMING | Can social media be kept out of the child's reach?
3 weeks, 2 days ago

JUST SPAMMING | Can social media be kept out of the child's reach?

Deccan Chronicle  

The latest news from down under is rather baffling. The Online Safety Amendment Act 2024 passed by the Australian Senate last week seeks to ban children below the age of 16 from using social media apps like TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, Snapchat, Instagram and X. Because in the Indian context, 70 per cent of the children access social media from their …

Meta's AI-Powered Tool to Detect Lies About Age on Instagram
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Meta's AI-Powered Tool to Detect Lies About Age on Instagram

India Today  

Meta's new AI tool, the 'adult classifier,' will analyze users' online behaviors and profile information to verify their age. It automatically switches users under 18 to 'teen accounts' with restricted privacy settings. This move is part of Meta's broader effort to protect teens from potentially harmful content on social media, especially as it faces legal challenges and criticism from state …

How to talk to your children about staying safe on the internet
1 month, 3 weeks ago

How to talk to your children about staying safe on the internet

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

AI-generated child sex abuse content increasingly found on open web – watchdog
2 months ago

AI-generated child sex abuse content increasingly found on open web – watchdog

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy AI-generated child sexual abuse content is increasingly being found on publicly accessible areas …

Instagram to block users from screenshotting messages in safety bid
2 months ago

Instagram to block users from screenshotting messages in safety bid

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The new safety tools will also mean people will no longer be allowed to use their device …

Meta introduces new “Teen Accounts” on instagram to enhance parental control
3 months ago

Meta introduces new “Teen Accounts” on instagram to enhance parental control

New Indian Express  

Meta is launching “teen accounts” for Instagram users under 18, aimed at giving parents greater oversight of their children's online activities. Key features of the teen accounts include enhanced parental controls, such as the ability to set daily usage limits, restrict access during nighttime hours, and monitor direct messages and content categories viewed by teens. This update follows Meta's commitment …

Instagram Introduces Teen Accounts, Other Sweeping Changes To Boost Child Safety Online
3 months ago

Instagram Introduces Teen Accounts, Other Sweeping Changes To Boost Child Safety Online

Huff Post  

File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Oct. 14, 2022. via Associated Press Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how social media affects young people’s lives. “So teen accounts is really focused on addressing those three …

I was sexually groomed online at age 12 - here's what I experienced that parents and kids must know
3 months, 2 weeks ago

I was sexually groomed online at age 12 - here's what I experienced that parents and kids must know

Daily Mail  

A victim of online grooming has come forward to share a warning to parents and kids about the dangers of the internet. But the stranger soon began exposing him to pornography and videos of self-harm Above, Haynes today attending a a protest at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. As a 20-year-old college student, Haynes has come forward to tell his …

4 Mistakes Parents Make When Posting Their Kids' First-Day-Of-School Photos
3 months, 3 weeks ago

4 Mistakes Parents Make When Posting Their Kids' First-Day-Of-School Photos

Huff Post  

Illustration:Jianan Liu/HuffPost; Photo:Getty Images Every time you share a photo of your child on social media, you create a potential cybersecurity risk, experts warn. “Now people know not only what your child looks like, but where she goes to school,” said Mark McCreary, a Philadelphia-based lawyer at Fox Rothschild who co-chairs the firm’s privacy and data security practice. “Anytime you’re …

As AI influencers storm social media, some fear a 'digital Pandora's box' has been opened
4 months, 1 week ago

As AI influencers storm social media, some fear a 'digital Pandora's box' has been opened

ABC  

As people spend more time online, bonds forged with influencers generated by artificial intelligence are rising. If you're in immediate danger dial triple-0 If you're in immediate danger dial triple-0 Report online abuse and inappropriate behaviour to the Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation Report online abuse and inappropriate behaviour to the Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation Report online …

Instagram 'is profiting from AI-generated child abuse images': Charity lawyers target social media giant Meta for 'not tackling' a 'new frontier of horror' that sees paedophiles advertise websites sel
5 months ago

Instagram 'is profiting from AI-generated child abuse images': Charity lawyers target social media giant Meta for 'not tackling' a 'new frontier of horror' that sees paedophiles advertise websites sel

Daily Mail  

Instagram is facing a legal challenge over claims it profits by allowing users to advertise AI-generated child sex abuse images. In what campaigners say is a 'new frontier of horror', paedophiles are using artificial intelligence software to generate thousands of sexualised images of children, which they brazenly market on Instagram, telling users to click on their sites to buy even …

Campaign to protect children online
5 months, 1 week ago

Campaign to protect children online

China Daily  

Campaign to protect children online China's top internet regulator has launched a two-month campaign to protect children online during the summer vacation, targeting e-commerce predators and inappropriate content. The crackdown follows a controversy last year that occurred when China Central Television exposed e-commerce platforms selling nude scale model toys to children age 7 to 14. A report on juvenile internet …

More than 300 million children a year face sexual abuse online, study suggests
6 months, 3 weeks ago

More than 300 million children a year face sexual abuse online, study suggests

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This is on a staggering scale that in the UK alone equates to forming a line of …

Facebook and Instagram face fresh EU digital scrutiny over child safety measures
7 months, 1 week ago

Facebook and Instagram face fresh EU digital scrutiny over child safety measures

Associated Press  

LONDON — The European Union opened fresh investigations Thursday into Facebook and Instagram over suspicions that they’re failing to protect children online, in violation of the bloc’s strict digital regulations for social media platforms. It’s the latest round of scrutiny for parent company Meta Platforms under the 27-nation EU’s Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that took effect …

Facebook and Instagram face fresh scrutiny under the European Union's strict digital regulations
7 months, 1 week ago

Facebook and Instagram face fresh scrutiny under the European Union's strict digital regulations

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Shocking survey into online predators prompts warning to parents about sharing photos of kids online
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Shocking survey into online predators prompts warning to parents about sharing photos of kids online

ABC  

In short: A new survey has found online predators are targeting parents who share photos of their children on social media. Australians posting photos of their children on social media are being targeted by online predators, with some even offering payments to try to encourage parents to send sexual images to them. "Australians are increasingly sharing more of their personal …

Children, three, manipulated into sending predators sexual pictures, report claims
8 months ago

Children, three, manipulated into sending predators sexual pictures, report claims

Daily Mail  

A new report has found that children as young as three are being manipulated into sending predators sexual pictures and videos. A new report has found that children as young as three are being manipulated into sending predators sexual pictures and videos Susie Hargreaves, chief executive of the IWF, said: 'The opportunistic criminals who want to manipulate your children into …

Majority of boys aged 11-14 ‘exposed to online content that promotes misogyny’
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Majority of boys aged 11-14 ‘exposed to online content that promotes misogyny’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Every parent knows being online …

Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids

Associated Press  

Social media CEOs got grilled by Senate lawmakers this week in an emotional and often heated hearing about the dangers their platforms pose to children — sexual predators, videos encouraging suicide and glorifying eating disorders, bullying and addictive features, just to name a few. To comply, social media companies have generally banned kids under 13 from signing up for their …

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online I Watch LIVE proceedings
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online I Watch LIVE proceedings

India TV News  

California: The CEOs of top social media apps and video streaming platforms including Meta, TikTok, X and others are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child exploitation on their platforms, as lawmakers, families and advocates are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives. So independent regulation needs to step in.” Facebook to face …

Third of teenagers have seen real-life violence on TikTok, research suggests
1 year, 1 month ago

Third of teenagers have seen real-life violence on TikTok, research suggests

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A third of 13 to 17-year-olds have seen footage of real-life …

States sue Meta for harming young people's mental health, collecting data on children
1 year, 1 month ago

States sue Meta for harming young people's mental health, collecting data on children

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Avoid helicopter parenting in the age of digital surveillance
1 year, 2 months ago

Avoid helicopter parenting in the age of digital surveillance

Live Mint  

Last spring, my tween was begging for more freedom, starting with being allowed to walk home from school alone. “The culture of surveillance is shaping our children’s sense of identity and independence—and impacting our mental health, our family’s connectedness, and our ability to self-define in adulthood," Heitner writes. The solution, therefore, is simple: Parents just need to be more on …

Police chief calls for parents to be held accountable over social media crazes
1 year, 4 months ago

Police chief calls for parents to be held accountable over social media crazes

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Parents should be held accountable for the actions of children taking part in …

Children of the web
1 year, 5 months ago

Children of the web

The Hindu  

It was during the peak of the pandemic that Instagram reels became ‘dopamine’ for Anika*, 16, a Delhi-based student. The advisory cited two studies that found frequent users of social media “can experience changes in brain structure similar to changes seen in individuals with substance use or gambling addictions”. Excessive social media use could be associated with changes in the …

Alarming findings: Instagram's disturbing role in promoting pedophiles and illegal content
1 year, 6 months ago

Alarming findings: Instagram's disturbing role in promoting pedophiles and illegal content

Hindustan Times  

Instagram, owned by Meta, has come under fire in a new report revealing its role as a platform for a "vast network" of pedophiles sharing and promoting illegal content. The investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal, along with Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts, found that Instagram's algorithms actively connect and guide pedophiles to accounts that sell underage …

Dark truth: Meta's battle against child-sex content on Instagram
1 year, 6 months ago

Dark truth: Meta's battle against child-sex content on Instagram

Live Mint  

Instagram, the popular social-media site owned by Meta Platforms, helps connect and promote a vast network of accounts openly devoted to the commission and purchase of underage-sex content, according to investigations by The Wall Street Journal and researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Instagram accounts offering to sell illicit sex material generally don’t publish it openly, …

Meta Promises Action After Instagram Algorithm Found Promoting 'Paedophile' Network: Report
1 year, 6 months ago

Meta Promises Action After Instagram Algorithm Found Promoting 'Paedophile' Network: Report

ABP News  

Facebook parent Meta has pledged action after popular photo-sharing platform Instagram was found promoting an extensive network of paedophile content, media reports say. The WSJ report revealed that Meta-owned Instagram's systems helped "connect and promote a vast network of accounts" devoted to underage-sex content. Rival Twitter's Elon Musk Takes A Swipe At Meta Social media company Twitter's boss and tech …

Child social media stars have few protections. Illinois aims to fix that
1 year, 7 months ago

Child social media stars have few protections. Illinois aims to fix that

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Holed up at home during the pandemic lockdown three years ago, 13-year-old Shreya Nallamothu was scrolling through social media when she noticed a pattern: Children even younger than her were the stars — dancing, cracking one-liners and being generally adorable. “I realized that there’s a lot of exploitation that can happen within the world of ‘kidfluencing,’” said Nallamothu, …

Paedophiles are abusing children in the METAVERSE, police say
1 year, 10 months ago

Paedophiles are abusing children in the METAVERSE, police say

Daily Mail  

Paedophiles are exploiting virtual reality environments like the metaverse to abuse children, an NSPCC investigation has revealed for the first time. West Midlands police recorded five instances of metaverse abuse and Warwickshire one, while Surrey police recorded two crimes — including one that involved Meta's Oculus headset, which is now called the Quest. Disturbing: Paedophiles are exploiting virtual reality environments …

FBI: Steep climb in teens targeted by online ‘sextortion’
2 years ago

FBI: Steep climb in teens targeted by online ‘sextortion’

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The FBI sounded the alarm Monday about an explosive increase in teenage boys being targeted online and extorted for money after being tricked into sending sexually explicit pictures. Many think they are chatting online with kids around their own age but are quickly manipulated into sending explicit pictures and then blackmailed for money with threats to release the …

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document
2 years ago

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document

CBS News  

Families suing social media companies Suing Social Media: Families say social media algorithms put their kids in danger | 60 Minutes 13:29 A previously unpublished internal document reveals Facebook, now known as Meta, knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content. Attorney Matt Bergman started the Social Media Victims Law Center after reading the so-called "Facebook Papers," disclosed by whistleblower …

How parents can help protect children from online ‘catfishing’ and other digital dangers
2 years ago

How parents can help protect children from online ‘catfishing’ and other digital dangers

LA Times  

Police say a law enforcement officer from Virginia catfished a teenage girl online, came to her suburban Riverside neighborhood and killed three of her family members before leaving with her in his vehicle. “We need to be talking to our kids about safety and making safe and smart decisions online,” said Callahan Walsh, a child advocate with the National Center …

Twitter put ads next to tweets sharing images of child sexual abuse
2 years, 2 months ago

Twitter put ads next to tweets sharing images of child sexual abuse

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Either Twitter is going to fix this, or we’ll fix it by any means we can, which …

Parenting Tips: Here’s How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
2 years, 2 months ago

Parenting Tips: Here’s How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online

News 18  

Children spend a lot of time on the internet for various activities including their studies. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago, with almost everything moving online, the dependence of children on the internet has increased. As the kids are spending more time online it’s important for parents to keep a watch on them and monitor their …

California first with law protecting children’s online privacy
2 years, 3 months ago

California first with law protecting children’s online privacy

LA Times  

Facebook parent company Meta said it has concerns about some of the law’s provisions but shares lawmakers’ goal of keeping children safe online. He noted that as a father of four, “I’m familiar with the real issues our children are experiencing online.” The bill requires tech companies that provide online services attractive to children to follow age-appropriate design code principles …

Operation targeting online child sex abuse nets 141 arrests across Southern California
2 years, 3 months ago

Operation targeting online child sex abuse nets 141 arrests across Southern California

LA Times  

A detective with the LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force demonstrates computer forensics on a hard drive at a mobile lab during a news conference in 2014. Authorities arrested 141 people across Southern California — most of them on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material — as part of a weeklong operation targeting online abuse, officials said Wednesday. …

Twitter’s attempt to compete with OnlyFans was halted due to child safety warnings
2 years, 3 months ago

Twitter’s attempt to compete with OnlyFans was halted due to child safety warnings

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. When “Super Follows” was announced, it was compared to other direct payment tools used on platforms like …

Facebook will block kids from downloading age-inappropriate virtual reality apps
2 years, 9 months ago

Facebook will block kids from downloading age-inappropriate virtual reality apps

NPR  

Facebook will block kids from downloading age-inappropriate virtual reality apps Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images Facebook's parent company, Meta, plans to roll out parental supervision tools for its virtual reality headset, as concerns mount over whether kids are safe while exploring the so-called "metaverse." Meta is also creating a new "Family Center" hub that …

Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe

Associated Press  

For many parents, revelations this week from whistleblower Frances Haugen showing internal Facebook studies of the harms of Instagram for teenagers only intensified concerns about the popular photo sharing app. To comply, social media companies have generally banned kids under 13 from signing up for their services, although it’s been widely documented that kids sign up anyway, either with or …

Past storms haven’t fazed Facebook. Instagram Kids might
3 years, 2 months ago

Past storms haven’t fazed Facebook. Instagram Kids might

Associated Press  

Nineteen-year-old Gigi Painter hopes Facebook’s planned “Instagram Kids” never becomes a reality. Antigone Davis, Facebook’s head of global safety, defended Instagram’s efforts to protect young people using its platform, insisting that Facebook cares “deeply about the safety and security of the people on our platform.” The Senate Commerce Subcommittee is is examining how Facebook handled information from its own researchers …

Foes united vs Facebook over Instagram's effect on teens
3 years, 2 months ago

Foes united vs Facebook over Instagram's effect on teens

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mounting public pressure over the revelations have prompted …

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children
3 years, 2 months ago

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children

Al Jazeera  

United States lawmakers have heaped criticism on Facebook Inc on the company’s plans to protect children who use its social media platforms, after a leaked internal investigation showed the social media giant was aware of how its Instagram app harmed the mental health of teenagers. Democratic Senator Edward Markey added: “IG stands for Instagram, but it also stands for Insta-greed.” …

How to ensure safe online experiences for kids?
3 years, 4 months ago

How to ensure safe online experiences for kids?

Live Mint  

Did you know that more than a third of young people in 30 countries report being cyberbullied, with 1 in 5 skipping school because of it. But with these opportunities come serious risks," mentions a September 2020-article, titled 'Protecting Children Online', by the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF. It goes on to state that cyberbullying and other forms of …

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram
3 years, 6 months ago

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram

NPR  

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram Enlarge this image toggle caption Rick Bowmer/AP Rick Bowmer/AP Social media companies prohibit kids under 13 from signing up because of federal privacy law. Parents say struggles with social apps start at early age Parents say Zuckerberg is right: many kids are going on social media, despite the …

As they turn to digital devices, children face enhanced cyber sexual harassment
3 years, 6 months ago

As they turn to digital devices, children face enhanced cyber sexual harassment

Hindustan Times  

When a 14-year-old girl’s parents in Delhi’s Shahdara district bought her a mobile phone last year to facilitate her online classes, a result of the restrictions imposed on schools to curb the spread of the pandemic, little did they realise the possible social media abuse she may be subjected to. Police and child safety experts say while the sexual abuse …

Why Instagram for kids is being criticised by lawmakers and child rights groups
3 years, 7 months ago

Why Instagram for kids is being criticised by lawmakers and child rights groups

The Hindu  

Facebook-owned Instagram is said to be working on a separate app for children under 13, BuzzFeed News reported in March. Most recently, a group of U.S. lawmakers urged Facebook to not to create an Instagram service for children as it could potentially harm their physical and mental well-being. Facebook was on the edge of violating the Children’s Online Privacy and …

Discover Related