Meta testing new tools to help protect people from sextortion and intimate image abuse

Meta said Thursday it is testing new tools to help protect people from sextortion scams and other forms of intimate image abuse on its apps and across the internet.

To begin with, Meta is introducing a new nudity protection feature in Instagram DMs that blurs images detected as containing nudity and encourages people to think twice before sending such images. It will also protect people from scammers who may send nude images to trick them into sending their images in return.

Nudity Protection in Instagram DMs will be turned on by default for teens under 18 globally while adults will receive prompts encouraging them to enable this protective measure.

When turned on, users attempting to send images with nudity will be prompted to exercise caution and reconsider their decision, with the option to retract such images if they have second thoughts. Users can also unsend these photos if they've changed their mind.

While forwarding a nude image, users will see a message encouraging them to reconsider their decision.

Images showing nudity will be automatically blurred under a warning screen and recipients can choose whether or not to view it. Alongside, there will be a prompt advising them not to feel compelled to respond, with options to block the sender or report the conversation.

When sending or receiving these images, people will be directed to safety tips, developed with guidance from experts, about the potential risks involved.

Nudity protection uses on-device machine learning to analyze if an image sent in an Instagram DM contains nudity. Nudity protection will work in end-to-end encrypted chats and Meta won't have access to the content unless reported by users.

Furthermore, Meta is working on a technology to help identify where accounts may potentially be engaging in sextortion scams, based on a range of signals that could indicate sextortion behavior. Messages from potential sextortion accounts will be directed to a hidden requests folder, minimizing users' exposure to such scams.

For teens, the "Message" button will now be removed from their profile to potential sextortion accounts.

Meta is also testing pop-up messages for users who may have engaged with removed accounts due to sextortion.