Meta introduces automatic nudity blurring in Instagram DMs as its latest step in enhancing teen safety

Meta announced on Thursday that it is trialing new features on Instagram designed to enhance the protection of young users against unwanted nudity and sextortion scams. Among these features is “Nudity Protection in DMs,” which automatically blurs images identified as containing nudity.

The technology company also revealed plans to prompt teenagers to safeguard themselves by displaying a warning message, encouraging them to reconsider before sharing intimate images. Meta aims for this initiative to reduce vulnerability to scammers who exploit nude images to manipulate individuals into reciprocating with their own images.

Moreover, Meta disclosed its intention to implement measures that will make it harder for potential scammers and criminals to target and engage with teenagers. The company is developing innovative technology to identify accounts “potentially” involved in sextortion schemes, with plans to impose restrictions on the interactions of these suspicious accounts with other users.

In addition, Meta unveiled its collaboration with the cross-platform online child safety program, Lantern, by expanding the data shared to include more signals specific to sextortion.

Despite Meta’s longstanding policies prohibiting the transmission of unwanted nudes or coercion for intimate images, such issues persist and often result in distress for numerous teenagers and young individuals, occasionally leading to tragic outcomes.

Below, we’ve provided a detailed overview of the latest changes implemented by Meta.