SEXTING VS. SEXTORTION
There is no doubt that smartphones are having a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. The use of instant messaging has skyrocketed since the introduction of smartphones and social media. Research suggests that over forty- one million messages are sent out every minute , 5 and this number is expected to continually increase. The term ‘sexting’ emerged as the use of text messages and instant messages increased and is defined as sending sexually explicit photographs, videos, and/or messages. Sexting is also commonly found over popular apps, such as WhatsApp and Instagram Direct Messages, but is especially popularized through Snapchat because of the platform’s ability to send photographs/videos and messages that can only be seen once before it “disappears” into cyberspace – unless, of course, someone was to take a screenshot and distribute it to others, or utilize another device to take a photo to avoid notifying the user by screenshotting… Sexting has several dangers to acknowledge, especially regarding how it can permanently impact the lives of our children. One of the most dangerous scenarios we see occur repeatedly is sextortion. Sextortion “ is a form of exploitation that involves the threat of releasing shared intimate videos, images, or explicit messages online . ” 6 Sextortion can happen to anyone who chooses to sext, and it is not always a stranger someone has never met, it can also be someone close to the individual. It is crucial for our youth to understand that when they choose to engage in sexting, they are subjecting themselves to the risk of sextortion. If you or someone you know is worried about their intimate images/videos are circulating the online space, there are resources available for support. Take it Down is a free service that can help you remove or stop the online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken of you when you were under 18 years old. When using Take it Down, you would first select the image(s) or video(s) on your device that you are concerned about; therefore, you need access to the original intimate image or video to utilize this service. Then, Take It Down will assign a unique digital fingerprint, called a hash value, to the image or video. The hash will be shared with participating online platforms that can use it to detect copies of these images or videos on their services and take action to remove the content or limit the spread. T his happens without the image or video ever leaving your device or anyone viewing it, and you do not have to share any personal information. For those over the age of 18, the Stop Non- Consensual Intimate Images website works the same way as Take It Down.
5 Text, Don’t Call: Messaging Apps Statistics for 202 4 6 Sextortion: A Definition
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