Instagram creators targeted by fake copyright claims and ransom schemes
Creators on Instagram have lost thousands after scammers filed bogus copyright complaints, then demanded payment to withdraw them.
A wave of extortionists is abusing Instagram's copyright-strike system by submitting fabricated complaints, which can trigger temporary account bans. Influencers such as a 1.5 million-follower account owner have paid $50 in cryptocurrency to recover their accounts, arguing that Meta's appeal process would take weeks. After payment, many report receiving additional strikes almost immediately, and some have had their accounts demonetised.
Meta claims to have restored the removed content and introduced new protections, yet creators say the platform still fails to filter obvious false claims and that responsive support requires a £9.99 monthly verification fee. Law-enforcement agencies warn against paying ransoms, but victims feel forced to do so to resume earnings. Experts note that AI may be enabling the scale of these scams, making it harder for large platforms to distinguish legitimate from fraudulent notices.
Why it matters
The scheme threatens creators' livelihoods and highlights weaknesses in Instagram's copyright enforcement.
How this story developed
- Aug 26 Meta agrees to up to $18 billion settlement and new teen safety rules
- Aug 26 Meta’s settlement adds mandatory usage caps and night‑time blocks for teen accounts.
- Aug 27 Meta is deploying an update that disables its glasses' camera if the recording LED is covered, closing a privacy loophole.
- Aug 27 Meta launched a paid advertising campaign calling on rival platforms to adopt the new teen‑protection measures.
- Aug 29 Thirty percent of the settlement amount is tied to TikTok and YouTube matching the protections and payments.
- Aug 31 A federal judge approved the settlement, moving it toward implementation.
- Aug 31 Attorneys for a class action say the settlement leaves thousands of individual family claims and lawsuits from schools and cities untouched.
- Sep 1 Consent campaign leader Chanel Contos will argue at the National Press Club that users should have to opt in to social-media algorithms, warning that current reforms are easy for tech firms to sidestep.
- Sep 1 Meta disabled cameras on thousands of glasses after detecting LED tampering.
- Sep 2 The settlement was finalized with 47 states and Washington, DC rather than the larger coalition previously reported.
- Sep 7 Contos delivered a speech urging mandatory opt‑in algorithm feeds.
- Sep 8 Tests show pre‑existing algorithmic recommendations can continue after users opt out, questioning the switch’s ability to block harmful content.
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