Meta has launched a new campaign to protect teens and children from social media sextortion scams. It’s designed to help teenagers and their parents easily spot online scammers, who trick young people into sending intimate photos and use financial blackmail, threatening exposure.
It was co-developed by Meta and Thorn – a non-profit organization that builds tech to defend children from sexual abuse -- as well as leading child experts and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
There are many safety layers to these new rules:
The new campaign includes a video that helps teens recognize the signs of a potential sextortion scammer, which include:
Tech analyst Carmi Levy said this is a productive step by Meta, but still not far-reaching enough.
"If you are a parent or if you are a teenager or anyone involved in caregiving, you should not just assume that we are now over the line and this problem is solved," said Levy who added, sextortion extends well beyond just Meta and its platforms like Instagram and Facebook. "These companies need to be held accountable by better laws that punish them if they are not compliant."
According to Â鶹´«Ã½â€™ public safety analyst and former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis, the biggest obstacle with sextortion investigations is the fact that parents and law enforcement only know what is being reported. Many teens are staying silent, and not telling anyone because of fear and embarrassment.
“The kids realize that if they fall into one of these traps and post something online or exchange photos, it’s something that will follow them for the rest of their lives," said Lewis. "It could put them in a vulnerable position and ultimately they may be talking to a 50-year-old in Europe and not a 15-year-old kid down the street like they think."
The key to any future success with these new safety features is parental involvement, said digital anthropologist Giles Crouch.
"It all comes down to the parents actually spending time with their kids to learn how they are using these platforms," said Crouch. "And will they take the time to put these controls on their kids’ phones."
The program is being released in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, countries that are commonly targeted by sextortionists based on data provided by Meta.
This new campaign includes a feature that prevents teens 16 and under from making changes to their teen account settings on Instagram without their parents’ permission.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an “innocent†couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough, and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell Â鶹´«Ã½ at least one other – Marie-Claude Bibeau – doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel’s most wanted man.
Meta has launched a new campaign to protect teens and children from social media sextortion scams. It’s designed to help teenagers and their parents easily spot online scammers, who trick young people into sending intimate photos and use financial blackmail, threatening exposure.
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
According to Google search data, the top Halloween costumes trending in Canada include everything from Taylor Swift for kids to the Joker and Harley Quinn for couples.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says it's very disturbing that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won't get the top-level security clearance needed to view classified documents on foreign interference.
Three men convicted of helping lead and co-ordinate the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 are to be sentenced next year.
Some doctors in Ottawa say the pile of paperwork they're doing every day has been steadily growing as more public service workers seek doctor's notes in order to receive accommodations to work from home.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an “innocent†couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Police are investigating a fire at a home in Dorval owned by Emile Benamor, the owner of the two Old Montreal buildings that were allegedly set on fire in the past year, killing nine.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Israel's killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip 'ends a reign of terror.'
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A judge on Thursday granted a request from Texas lawmakers to delay the execution of a man who was scheduled to become the first person in the U.S. executed for a murder conviction tied to a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome.
Yahya Sinwar masterminded an attack on Israel that shocked the world, unleashing a still-widening catastrophe with no end in sight.
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.
Florida voters and election supervisors in hurricane affected areas will have extra time and flexibility to ensure they still have the ability to vote in November elections.
More than 1 billion people in the world live in acute poverty, over half are children and nearly 40 per cent live in conflict-torn and fragile countries, according to a report released Thursday.
For months, frustrated American officials looking to end the war in Gaza have mused quietly about the one scenario they believed could loosen deadlocked ceasefire talks: the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar,
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough, and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell Â鶹´«Ã½ at least one other – Marie-Claude Bibeau – doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says it's very disturbing that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won't get the top-level security clearance needed to view classified documents on foreign interference.
The representative plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against Canada are urging First Nations chiefs to accept a landmark $47.8-billion child welfare reform deal.
Patients who are older, don’t speak English, and don’t have a high school education are more likely to experience harm during a hospital stay in Canada, according to new research.
Health Canada released an advisory Wednesday warning that baby walkers available online may pose a risk of injury and reminding consumers the items are already banned in Canada.
Coca-Cola has recalled more than 13,000 cases of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade because the mislabelled cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink, according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Meta has launched a new campaign to protect teens and children from social media sextortion scams. It’s designed to help teenagers and their parents easily spot online scammers, who trick young people into sending intimate photos and use financial blackmail, threatening exposure.
Just weeks before the U.S. presidential election, TikTok approved advertisements that contained election disinformation even though it has a ban on political ads, according to a report published Thursday by the nonprofit Global Witness.
At the heart of the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, carved into pink sandstone cliffs, lies an elaborate monument known as the Khaznah, or the Treasury. And buried beneath that edifice, archeologists recently discovered, is a tomb with at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts that are estimated to be at least 2,000 years old.
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of 'South Pacific' and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Meta says it has laid off some employees, including staff at WhatsApp And Instagram, to realign its resources with its “strategic goals.â€
Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.
Dozens of people rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of WK Kellogg Co. Tuesday, demanding that the company remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the U.S.
According to Google search data, the top Halloween costumes trending in Canada include everything from Taylor Swift for kids to the Joker and Harley Quinn for couples.
Experts weigh in on 'moon face', a condition social media users say is swelling in parts of the face caused by the stress hormone cortisol.
Luxury fashion house Prada and commercial space company Axiom Space have unveiled the designs for a spacesuit that will be worn for NASA’s Artemis III moon mission.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
The game against the San Jose Sharks is Hellebuyck Night – a night to recognize Connor Hellebuyck and his success last season winning both the Vezina and William M. Jennings trophies.
Â鶹´«Ã½' Rachel CrowSpreadingWings sat down with legendary Inuk hockey player Jordin Tootoo for an open conversation on his new documentary, Tootoo: The Jordin Tootoo Story. The film takes a look at achievements throughout his hockey career and his struggles with addictions.
Canada’s border guards have seized more than 1,900 stolen cars so far this year at railyards and ports, which is over a hundred more than in 2023.
The Ontario Provincial Police says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased by 40 per cent compared to this time last year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company’s self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population – that he once again promised would be available within a few years.
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A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
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The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.
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A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an “innocent†couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough, and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell Â鶹´«Ã½ at least one other – Marie-Claude Bibeau – doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
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Edmonton education support staff could be heading to the picket lines.
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The Nova Scotia government is adding new specialized staff to schools to help prevent and address violence.
All three of New Brunswick’s main party leaders returned to the campaign trail Thursday following CTV Atlantic's roundtable discussion Wednesday night.
A 52-year-old man has been charged after six bison were killed in an illegal hunt on a Manitoba farm.
Over the past several years, the Winnipeg has been the backdrop for dozens of Hallmark holiday movies and this year several more are being added to the growing list of feel-good, seasonal films that are Manitoba-shot.
A Winnipeg MP is among several cabinet ministers not seeking re-election.
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe announced Thursday that if re-elected his party's 'first order of business' would be to introduce a policy that would ban 'biological males' from changing with 'biological females' in school changerooms.
STARS Air Ambulance and Craik RCMP were called to a serious collision on Highway 2 west of Chamberlain, Sask. on Thursday afternoon.
As the provincial election draws near, one group of advocates in Regina hosted a news conference and question and answer period, which highlighted substantial gaps in the province's policies regarding poverty.
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an “innocent†couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
A paracyclist has returned to Waterloo Region after touring war-torn Ukraine to raise awareness for amputees.
The Prince Albert Police Service is investigating after unidentified human remains were found in the city.
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe announced Thursday that if re-elected his party's 'first order of business' would be to introduce a policy that would ban 'biological males' from changing with 'biological females' in school changerooms.
The Pierceland RCMP is investigating a sudden death in a community near Mudie Lake, Saskatchewan.
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an “innocent†couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
A Quebec-based company that supplies hydro turbines and generators has been fined $80,000 after a millwright was critically injured at a job site last year in Iron Bridge, Ont.
An intoxicated person living on Highway 17 in Spragge, Ont., has been arrested for making repeated false 911 calls in a span of several hours Oct. 11.
OPP have closed a section of road in Middlesex County following a crash.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’
On October 21, 2024, a nationwide rally will take place to raise awareness and advocate for the end of violence toward women and children.
At 17 years old, Myles Kozinski is making a difference by creating the Orillia community fridge program.
An Orillia man has been arrested four months after a collision on Highway 12 in Ramara Township that police say claimed the life of a senior.
Provincial police are investigating the alleged theft of a classic car from an address in the Town of Mono.
Windsor police are investigating shots fired in a quiet east Riverside neighbourhood.
Closing arguments are complete in a careless driving trial in Chatham.
Prospects looking into the University of Windsor have the chance to win a $10,000 tuition voucher and more at the upcoming fall Open House.
The Transportation Safety Board says a mistake by a Canadian Pacific Railway supervisor set off a crash between a freight train and a railway work vehicle in Cache Creek, B.C.
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn’t be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
Elections BC says a record number of British Columbians have already cast their ballots in advance voting before Saturday's provincial election.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
More than 600 students on the Piikani Nation will soon have a new space to learn after the federal government announced funding Thursday morning.
Three men convicted of helping lead and co-ordinate the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 are to be sentenced next year.
With the growing season wrapping up for many, southern Alberta's sweetest crop is in full swing.
A Quebec-based company that supplies hydro turbines and generators has been fined $80,000 after a millwright was critically injured at a job site last year in Iron Bridge, Ont.
A physician shortage is again forcing the closure of the emergency department at the Thessalon Site of the North Shore Health Network.
A 21-year-old who was already on probation has been charged after an armed intruder entered a victim's home early in the morning Oct. 11 in the Town of Spanish.
A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
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