In a pivotal move to enhance online safety, Instagram has introduced a new feature that blurs nudity in direct messages, aimed primarily at protecting young users from sexual extortion. This update, rolled out by Meta, Instagram’s parent company, uses advanced machine learning to detect nudity directly on users’ devices, ensuring privacy even in end-to-end encrypted messages. The feature will be activated by default for users under 18, while adults will receive prompts to enable it voluntarily.
The initiative comes as social media platforms, including Instagram, face increasing scrutiny over their impacts on youth mental health and safety. High-profile cases of sexual extortion have prompted public and legal pressure, leading to this proactive measure. The feature not only prevents the display of unwanted nude images but also discourages users from sending such content. If users opt to proceed, they’re reminded they can retract their images, although the visibility of such images to others cannot be guaranteed if already viewed.
The feature, powered by on-device machine learning, is set to identify nudity in images without requiring the images to be uploaded or viewed by others unless reported. This measure is particularly significant as it extends protection to end-to-end encrypted messages, which are private by design. Although Instagram’s direct messages are not currently encrypted, the platform has plans to include encryption in the future.
The nudity-blurring tool will be automatically activated for users under 18 years old worldwide. Adults will receive a notification with the option to turn on the feature. When nudity is detected, the image will be blurred, and the recipient will be warned before viewing it. This system also provides options to block the sender and report the message, enhancing user control over their interaction with content.
This initiative is part of Instagram’s ongoing adjustments to its sensitive content policies, which have been under scrutiny. Recent legal actions and criticisms have pushed the platform to be more proactive in safeguarding its community against harmful content, emphasizing the importance of protecting young users from potential abuse and exploitation through its network.
Critics acknowledge the feature’s potential but urge further actions to address broader issues of online safety for young users. Meanwhile, Meta continues to refine its safety protocols, with ongoing developments aimed at identifying and mitigating sextortion risks more effectively
