“Instagram is full of porn and sex
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The social network Instagram has over a billion users worldwide. But not only harmless leisure pictures are posted there. Pornography, nude pictures and lewd messages are the order of the day – this also applies to underage users! TECHNOLOGYBUTTON has researched and worked with cybercriminologist Dr. Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger spoken.
More than 21 million Germans use Instagram and either share photos there themselves or at least look at other people’s content. Over 15 percent of users in this country are between 13 and 17 years old and thus minors. The protection of minors is often neglected, if only because of the large number of users. “Several forms of pornographic media can be found on the platform,” confirms cybercriminologist Dr. Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger.
Contents
- After 5 minutes you can already find porn
- 3 types of pornographic media on Instagram
- Penis pictures and sex requests are the order of the day
- Sexbots as a relatively new phenomenon
- Instagram does not tolerate pornographic content
- Should I ban Instagram my kids?
- Protect the accounts of children and young people as best as possible
After 5 minutes you can already find porn
Anyone who thinks that only harmless pictures and video clips are shared on Instagram is mistaken. TECHNOLOGYBUTTON’s research in the depths of the social media platform unearths various adult content. Certain hashtags hide tons of nude pictures and hardcore porn clips. Anyone who finds out about a hashtag like this opens the door to further content. The corresponding images and videos usually have up to 29 other hashtags with a clear reference.
Instagram itself is aware of this problem and tries to contain the flood of porn as much as possible. Obvious hashtags like #sex have long been blocked by the company. If you enter it in the hashtag search, you will not get any results. In addition, the software can partially recognize and filter out pornographic content.
As TECHNOLOGYBUTTON found out, Instagram does not manage to make the masses of pornography disappear despite daily deletion. Users in all time zones around the world are constantly uploading material that is always online for a certain period of time. It only took five minutes to find the first hashtag with sexual content . Video clips of hardcore pornography can already be found here.
Dr. Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger also sees another difficulty in the global use of Instagram: “What counts as a sexual offense or a pornographic medium differs from country to country. For example, in Germany so-called posing pictures of children are classified as ‘child pornographic media’, in other countries this may not be punishable. ”
3 types of pornographic media on Instagram
According to Dr. Rüdiger, in summary, there are three types of pornographic content:
1. Explicit pornographic drawings and comics
These are drawings that realistically and unmistakably show hardcore pornography. According to Dr. Rüdiger is little hidden and the easiest to find. This could be because the Instagram algorithm does not recognize the content as pornography and therefore cannot filter it out.
2. Classic pornographic pictures and videos
Pornographic images and videos of real people are also on Instagram. Since the algorithm can now filter these better, the uploaders alienate the porn. Filters make videos so difficult to see, but still clearly visible.
3. Verbal pornography in text form
Images with text on them, so-called quotecards, are also dangerous. Sexualized texts can be found on certain profiles, whether disguised as an invitation to write a letter or as an alleged confession.
Penis pictures and sex requests are the order of the day
Pornographic content on Instagram is a nuisance and not intended for the eyes of adolescents. However, private messaging poses a real danger. Offenders of all ages contact girls and boys via Instagram – with clear intentions. The scam is called cybergrooming and, according to Dr. Rüdiger “one of the most relevant risks for children”. The perpetrators write to young girls, for example, direct the conversation to a sexual level and sometimes even force a meeting. It’s about sex chats and the exchange of nude pictures. Instagram indirectly makes this approach even easier. While teenagers were only represented with an alias in chat rooms,
Cyber criminologist Dr. Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger sees Instagram primarily as an initiation platform. After the first contact, the perpetrators try to get in touch with the children via classic messengers.
Above all, public photos attract perpetrators on Instagram. In addition to messages, they also send unsolicited nude pictures. Instagram shows this blurry at first, but with a click on the picture it already appears. This is where the victims’ curiosity usually prevails – the photo is viewed. Many YouTubers have already reported virtual attacks in public.
Sexbots as a relatively new phenomenon
When TECHNOLOGYBUTTON first researched sex on Instagram in December 2018, so-called sexbots did not yet play a major role. These are Instagram accounts that prefer to comment under postings from other accounts with a large reach. The comments are usually slightly suggestive and supposedly come from women who want to attract users to their own profile. In the past few months, most Instagram users should have stumbled upon such comments.
There are of course no lonely singles looking for a partner behind the profiles. Rather, they are computer bots that automatically generate comments. The profiles are mostly empty and only contain a link in the description, which then leads over several steps to an alleged adult dating site, for example. Since the links on Instagram lead directly to pornographic content, bots are also part of Instagram’s sex problem.
Instagram does not tolerate pornographic content
A spokesman for Instagram responded to TECHNOLOGYBUTTON’s request in 2018 as follows: “ We have no tolerance whatsoever for content or behavior that endangers the privacy and safety of minors. We have a number of automated and manual systems to report and block accounts used for spam and inappropriate content. In addition to the technologies we use in the backend, we have thousands of people on our Community Operations team who support us around the clock, worldwide and in over 40 languages. “
A new request has so far remained unanswered, but nothing in the setting of Instagram should have changed.
Should I ban Instagram my kids?
The cyber criminologist does not give a blanket answer here. Dr. Rüdiger appeals to one’s own media skills, which should then be imparted to the children: “Parents should actively use the platforms. Then you will quickly get an insight into the risks and can talk about them authentically and transparently with your children. Children’s access to digital space should always be made dependent on imparted knowledge of risks and reaction mechanisms. ”
Protect the accounts of children and young people as best as possible
While you should have full control over the account for children, it is often no longer appropriate for young people to control the smartphone. Nevertheless, there are methods to make Instagram safer for the youngsters:
1. Private profile
Make sure you set the profile of children and young people as “private”. So only subscribers can see your children’s pictures. If you want to subscribe, you have to make a request. The pictures of the offspring then no longer appear in the hashtag search.
To set the profile to private:
Step 1
Go to your own profile page and tap on the three lines in the top right corner. A menu then opens. In the lower right corner you get to the settings.
Step 2
In the settings scroll down to the menu item “Account privacy”
Step 3
Activate the option and the account is private
Note: If you have converted your profile into a business profile, you can no longer make your own page private. To do this, the profile must first be changed again in the settings!
2. Do not reveal too much information in the biography
The bio is a description that is on your own Instagram page and can be customized. It can be seen above the picture feed and often contains personal information such as place of residence, age or name. Such information has no place in children and adolescents, as it makes it relatively easy for strangers to find out more about the respective person.
3. Decline message requests
If messages from non-followers land in the inbox, they do not appear in the list immediately, but in the top right corner of the message menu as “Inquiry”. These should generally be refused if they come from unknown people.
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