FILE - This photo shows the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)
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The Big Story
Teenage boys are targeted most by ‘sextortion’ schemes
Teenage boys are the most frequent targets of financial “sextortion” schemes that are often conducted through Instagram and other social media platforms, according to a new report.
The report was released jointly by technology company Thorn and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) on Monday and examined more than 15 million reports made to NCMEC’s CyberTipline from 2020 to 2023.
It found that sextortion is on the rise, with an average of 812 reports of sextortion made per week to NCMEC in the last year.
The report defines sextortion as “threatening to expose sexual images of someone if they don’t yield to demands.” The report found that about two-thirds of all the reports involved demands for money.
The research noted that in the past, sextortion schemes frequently affected girls and included demands that were “sexual or relational in nature.”
However, the latest report found that most victims of financial sextortion are now boys. The report found that 90 percent of victims of financial sextortion were boys between the ages of 14 and 17.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) pushed back on some criticism of the new social media laws that she signed last week to address the impact it could have on children’s mental health. “You cannot turn a blind eye to trauma that is being inflicted on our children, especially young teenagers today, a seminal point in their lives … they’re being bombarded with intensely addictive algorithms to pull them into …
NASA and Boeing have once again postponed the return of the Starliner from the International Space Station (ISS), as the two-person crew completes a full review of the spacecraft’s technical issues. The mission, Boeing’s first manned space launch, was originally set to last nine days. For now, it is unclear exactly when flight commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams will make their return from space. The agency …
(NewsNation) — Cyberattacks have played havoc with the bottom lines of companies all over the world. They’re also starting to kill people. Hackers “want to go attack folks who are going to pay,” said cybersecurity expert David Malicoat. “They want that money as quickly as possible.” In one case earlier this year, a Michigan woman with low blood sugar went into cardiac arrest and died after a cyberattack targeted the system …
News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:
Samsung unveils plan to speed up delivery of AI chips
Samsung plans to offer a one-stop shop for artificial intelligence (AI) chips made faster to harness the AI boom, Reuters reports.
Nvidia, tech stocks slide after torrid year
Investors sold big technology names Monday in favor of other sectors such as banks and energy, according to CNBC.
In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
UN launches global principles to combat online hate and demands big tech take action now
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief on Monday launched global principles to combat online hate and lies and demanded that big tech companies use their power to reduce the harm they are doing to people and societies around the world. Secretary-General António Guterres also demanded that …
NEW YORK (AP) — Car dealerships in North America are still wrestling with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a company whose software is used widely in the auto retail sales sector. CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and …
The nation is bracing for a high-stakes Supreme Court decision that could come as soon as this week on former President Trump’s arguments that he is … Read more
Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, requested a new trial on federal gun charges Monday over a procedural matter. The president’s son was … Read more
