Instagram Steps Up Against Sextortion Instagram, the popular social media platform, is taking significant steps to shield teenagers from the increasing threat of sextortion. This malicious practice involves predators befriending teen users through fake profiles and gradually coercing them to share intimate photos. Once these images are obtained, the victims are blackmailed with threats of exposure unless they comply with further demands.

To counter this threat, Instagram is implementing new security measures aimed at protecting young users. Leveraging its parent company Meta's capabilities, the platform now warns teens about the dangers of sextortion and introduces settings to obscure their followers lists. This makes it more difficult for potential blackmailers to connect with and manipulate young users.

These proactive steps come in response to a surge in sextortion cases, which have even tragically resulted in teenage suicides. By alerting teenagers to the signs of such scams and implementing privacy measures, Instagram aims to create a safer online environment.

New Feature Development: Social Library In tandem with its security enhancements, Instagram is also innovating on the feature front. A recent discovery by developer Alessandro Paluzzi points to a new Social Library function currently in beta testing. This feature is designed to help users easily locate posts, Reels, and various media previously shared or received in chats.

The Social Library aims to be a centralized hub within the app, where users can effortlessly browse through their shared history of posts, media, and even their collections and likes. The inclusion of a search function—indicated by a magnifying glass icon—suggests users will have the capability to quickly find specific content, making it a handy tool for frequent users of the platform.

These advancements reflect Instagram's commitment not only to enhancing user security but also to improving user experience through thoughtful feature development.

For more details, you can read the full article by 9to5Mac.