SYDNEY, July 14 — Young men and boys are being targeted for sexual extortion on social media platforms, Australia’s online watchdog said today, finding “significant gaps” in how tech companies deal with the problem.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner received more than 2,200 complaints in the six months to December about sexual extortion, in which criminals trick victims into sharing intimate images before demanding money and threatening to expose them to family and friends.
The biggest group falling victim was men aged 18 to 24 years old, with 803 complaints received from this cohort.
Children under 15 were also falling prey, with 186 complaints received from boys and 58 complaints from girls.
Instagram and WhatsApp were the social media platforms most often named in the sexual extortion complaints, with TikTok the service identified by more children as the platform where contact with the abuser began, the report said.
The report highlighted the experience of 16-year-old “Sam”, who came into contact with fraudster “Jessica” while scrolling Instagram.
Sam was next lured to the private messaging service WhatsApp and asked to share a nude photo.
Seconds later, he was told to pay US$200, with the suggestion he steal it from his parents, or the photo would be sent to everyone he knew online.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the report showed there were “significant gaps” in how platforms protect users, and it was “vital” tech companies provide faster responses to victims reporting harm.
“The goal is often quick financial gain, with perpetrators using high-pressure tactics to force victims into paying. This form of extortion can cause high levels of stress, panic, psychological distress and financial loss,” she said in a statement.
“In several cases, we have provided these platforms with evidence of how their services are being colonised by criminals to devastating impact, with clear guidance on how to stem the abuse. Even when we’ve laid this out, we haven’t seen adequate responses, despite the technology being readily available.”
The Australian regulator sees “the same kill chains, scripts and images being used across multiple sexual extortion scams, and platforms should be picking this up,” she added.
The regulator said language analysis tools should be used by platforms to detect sexual extortion, however this is often prevented by encryption on private messaging services.
Meta said in March it would remove encryption on private messaging on Instagram. — AFP
From private messages to public threats: How Australia’s young men are being trapped online
