A dark phenomenon dominates the digital world and is frightening more and more young people in Austria: sextortion. The invisible enemy lurks in the shadows of social media. He leaves behind a trail of blackmailed nude photos and deeply frightened victims. In the first half of 2023, the number of such cases rose by an alarming 39.05 percent compared to the previous half year, according to the Austrian emergency number “Rat auf Draht”. In plain language: 146 consultations instead of 105. Both boys and girls are affected. Two new online services to protect against unwanted uploading of intimate images now provide a solution.

The nasty trick of sextortion

The frightening thing about the “sextortion” scam is how simple yet sophisticated it is. It starts innocently enough with a chat between teenagers on social media. The conversation quickly becomes erotic and the suggestion comes to send each other nude photos or show each other naked in a video chat. Many young people get involved because it is exciting and they feel safe because both sides are intimate, says Birgit Satke, head of the emergency number 147, describing the situation.

But there is a rude awakening from this apparent idyll. The supposed chat partner turns out to be a member of a well-organized gang of fraudsters. Once trapped, what was initially fun turns into a nightmare. The blackmailed young people are asked to transfer money, otherwise their intimate pictures or videos would be published and forwarded to their social contacts.

The platforms of choice

“The blackmailers also actively ask people to change the channel,” says Satke. The first contact usually takes place via Snapchat. The actual blackmail then takes place via Instagram. According to Satke, the blackmailers have recently changed their tactics to increase their threats. Immediately after the blackmail becomes known, they often send pictures to people in the victim's circle of acquaintances in order to prove their seriousness.

New services as a lifeline

To combat this, two new online tools have been launched: Take it down and Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Sharing . Both are aimed at people under 18 and prevent the uploading of intimate images and videos to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and other relevant sites.

The prerequisite for using these services is that the images or videos in question are still stored somewhere. “If you want to use this service, a digital fingerprint of the photo or video is created on the device and sent to the service, which allows online platforms to identify intimate images or videos and prevent them from being published,” explains Satke.

It is important to emphasize that the intimate images or videos themselves remain on the user's device and are not uploaded.

Conclusion

The increase in “sextortion” cases in Austria is a worrying trend. It poses a serious threat to the safety and well-being of young people. Fortunately, services are now available to help prevent the publication of intimate images and videos. However, we need to better educate our young people about the dangers and encourage them to seek help in such situations. This is the only way to curb the horror of “sextortion” and ensure that our children live safer lives in the digital world.

Source:

Advice on wire

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