Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced new updates and efforts to assist teenagers in combating sextortion on its platforms. The company revealed its expanded availability of Take It Down, an online tool designed to prevent the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery. This tool, financed and operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), is now available in 25 languages, marking a significant expansion from its initial launch in English and Spanish last year. Meta has also updated its Sextortion hub with new guidance and is set to launch a global campaign to raise awareness about sextortion.
Key Takeaway
Meta’s new updates and efforts aim to empower teens in combating sextortion on its platforms. The expanded availability of Take It Down in 25 languages, updated guidance, and the upcoming global campaign reflect Meta’s commitment to addressing online safety concerns for young users.
Take It Down: Empowering Teens
Take It Down is a crucial tool that enables teens to take back control of their personal intimate photos and prevents ex-partners and scammers from spreading them online. It allows individuals under 18, as well as parents or trusted adults, to submit a unique hash of the image or video to NCMEC. This digital fingerprint is used to locate and remove copies of the content, thereby preventing its future dissemination. Notably, teens are only required to submit the hash, rather than the intimate image or video itself. The tool is now available in 25 languages, including Hindi, Chinese, French, German, and many others, making it more accessible to a global audience.
Updated Guidance and Global Campaign
In addition to the expanded availability of Take It Down, Meta has updated its Sextortion hub with new guidance for teens on how to take back control if they become targets of sextortion. This includes advice for parents on supporting their teens in such situations. Furthermore, the company is launching a global campaign to raise awareness about these scams and educate teens and parents on preventive measures. Meta will collaborate with safety organizations and creators to amplify the reach of this campaign.
