More than 2,000 sexual extortion complaints spark warning to young men
The Australian eSafety Commissioner reports a surge in sexual extortion cases, particularly targeting young men aged 18 to 24. The watchdog is pressuring tech companies to improve detection of these scams, which often involve AI-generated imagery.
Why it matters
Rising rates of online sextortion pose significant mental health and safety risks to young people, highlighting gaps in platform moderation.
eSafety has detected an increase in the number of younger teens targeted by scammers. ( Graphic: Unsplash : Steinar Engeland /ABC News: Sharon Gordon )
The eSafety Commissioner received more than 2,000 reports of sexual extortion in six months, with young men the most common victims.
Major online platforms are accused of failing to deploy readily available technology to detect well-known blackmail tactics.
The online safety watchdog has urged tech companies to strengthen detection systems and launched a campaign to warn Australians about the growing scam.
Link copied Share Share article Australians have made more than 2,000 complaints about sexual extortion over just six months, with big tech accused of failing to address significant "blind spots" in detecting abuse.
The eSafety Commissioner has found "serious gaps" in how online platforms are tackling sextortion, despite companies being provided details of well-known coercion scripts and images used in scams.
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