Extortion on Social Media Platforms: A Growing Threat to Influencers
In recent years, social media influencers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram have faced a new and alarming problem: extortion. Scammers are now exploiting Meta-owned platforms, issuing copyright takedowns on content that they do not own. What’s even more concerning is that they are using Meta’s own rights management tool, which is designed to protect creators’ work. This disturbing trend has gained traction, with malicious actors coercing influencers into paying thousands of dollars to prevent future illegitimate takedowns.
The Bloomberg report sheds light on social media influencers in the Middle East who have fallen victim to this fraudulent practice. These influencers have had their content taken down through Meta’s rights management tool, falsely claiming copyright issues. When they reached out to the contact that issued the takedown, the scammer admitted that there was no actual copyright infringement and proceeded to extort money from the influencers.
One influencer from Iraq shared their experience, revealing that the scammer demanded $3,000 to restore the content they had taken down. To prevent further fraudulent takedowns, the scammer proposed either a recurring payment of $1,000 per month or an upfront payment of $7,000 per year. It is evident that scammers are finding success in their fake copyright scheme, exploiting social media platforms for financial gain.
The rise of this extortion practice is concerning, particularly as scammers are now gaining access to Meta’s rights manager through black markets. This tool, which requires approval from Meta, is being sold on these illicit platforms. With access to the rights manager, scammers can carry out copyright takedowns, making extortion easier and more effective.
Fraudulent copyright takedowns have become a significant issue across social media platforms. Content creators often find their work stolen and monetized by bad actors who upload it as their own. To combat this, platforms have introduced rights management and copyright tools to help creators establish ownership over their content. These tools enable creators to issue takedowns when their content is detected on social media platforms.
However, scammers have found a way to exploit these tools. They upload stolen content as their own, tricking the platform into recognizing them as the legitimate owners. This practice is not limited to Meta-owned platforms; it has been prevalent on YouTube as well. YouTube’s copyright management tool has been abused by scammers, with one notable incident resulting in the theft of over $23 million from fake copyright claims on music.
The lucrative nature of this scheme incentivizes scammers to continue exploiting copyright management tools. Social media platforms must take decisive action to identify and eliminate bad actors from their systems. As this issue persists, it is crucial for platforms like Meta to improve their measures to protect creators and prevent extortion.
Mashable has reached out to Meta for comment and will update the article if a response is received.