Meta tool to block nude images in teens’ private messages

Meta

The tool is likely to be optional and available to adults too on Instagram and Facebook.

It follows criticism from government and police after Meta started to encrypt Messenger chats by default.

They say encryption will make it harder for the firm to detect child abuse.

According to Meta the new feature is solely designed to protect users, particularly women and teenagers – under-13s are not allowed to use its platforms – from being sent nude images or being pressured into sending them.

It also announced that minors would, by default, be unable to receive messages on Instagram and Messenger from strangers.

Earlier this month, police chiefs said youngsters sending nude images contributed to a rise in sexual offences committed by children in England and Wales.

And legal filings recently made public as part of a US lawsuit against Meta, allege company documents show an estimated 100,000 teenage users of Facebook and Instagram are sexually harassed online every day. Meta has accused the lawsuit of mischaracterising its work.

But on Thursday the tech-giant revealed a planned new feature to help protect teenagers from inappropriate images in their messages.

This system will also work in encrypted chats with more details to be revealed later this year.

Meta’s recent decision to protect Facebook Messenger chats by default with end-to-end encryption (e2ee) has been fiercely criticised by government, police and leading children’s charities.

E2ee means only sender and recipient can read messages meaning, critics say, Meta cannot spot and report child abuse material in messages.