2024-04-14 13:31:59
The protection of minors on social platforms such as Instagram has long been criticized. The US company Meta is now planning improved security measures.
The US technology group Meta has announced better protection for underage users against sexual blackmail. Meta announced on Thursday that it was testing the use of software supported by artificial intelligence (AI).
This should automatically detect naked pictures that are sent to minors via the Instagram direct message function and make them unrecognizable. In addition, safety tips should be automatically sent to all users who send such content.
Protection against dangerous contact
However, the image is not completely unrecognizable. “The recipient has the choice whether they want to see the image or not,” Capucine Tuffier, who is in charge of child protection at Meta France, told AFP. The new measures were intended to protect young people from “unwanted and potentially dangerous contact,” Meta said.
The aim of the “Nudity Protection” tool is to provide better protection against so-called sextortion. The perpetrators often get underage victims to create and send sexually explicit images or videos to them. The perpetrators then threaten to publish the material in order to extort money or additional images. The new function will initially be tested in several countries in Central and Latin America and will be rolled out worldwide in the coming months.
Too little moderation on platforms
“The question is why they haven’t done this long ago,” said information scientist Olivier Ertzscheid from the University of Nantes. The necessary software has been around for several years. He also warned against false advertisements, such as pictures of women in swimsuits. “There is a lack of human moderation on all platforms,” he criticized.
Meta had already announced increased youth protection on the Instagram platform in January. In order to change an account from private to public, a young person must obtain the consent of their parents.
Criticism of youth protection at Meta
The Meta Group includes, among others, Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. The company has come under massive criticism because it does not protect its users and especially children enough. Critics have been accusing Meta for years of making it too easy for pedophile users in particular to use its online networks and messenger services to spread child pornographic material.
More than 40 US states have already sued Meta because of what they see as the company’s inadequate protection, particularly of children. The EU Commission has also initiated an investigation into the child protection measures of Meta and other digital companies.