Among Gen Z teenagers and young adults, 65% have been subject to “sextortion” scams, according to a study.
Snap Inc., Snapchat’s parent company, and WeProtect Global Alliance published the study across Australia, France, Germany, India, the UK, and the United States that included 6,000 teenagers surveyed in April and May. A majority reported they had experienced attempted “sextortion,” a scam involving an exchange of sexual photos and videos that are then used to blackmail them on a variety of platforms, not just Snapchat.
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Out of those that experienced the scam, 31% shared sexual material, and 25% shared private information. Meanwhile, 38% reported they did not share either.
Following “sextortion,” 56% of those surveyed reported either they or their friends sought help from a friend, parent, or another trusted adult. Another 51% said they reported the incident to the platform, a hotline, or law enforcement. Then 38% blocked the perpetrator, with 30% updating their account security and 26% closing their accounts.
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Additionally, agents from the Justice Department and the FBI are looking into cases of fentanyl poisoning in which the purchase was set up via Snapchat.
Many social media platforms tend to be used for drug sales, and legal experts claim that drug dealers prefer Snapchat due to its encrypted tech and disappearing messages.
