Meta releases 'sextortion' data after mum's criticism

Technology firm Meta says it has handed over data relating to a Scottish teenager who ended his life after becoming the victim of a sextortion gang on Instagram.

Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was 16 when he died last December.

His mother, Ros Dowey, told BBC News on Wednesday that Meta, which owns Instagram, had not yet provided the information from Murray’s account despite a request from Police Scotland and a court order.

However, in a statement released on Thursday, Meta said they have cooperated with the authorities and responded to any data requests.

The company had earlier said its thoughts were with the family and that it was co-operating with the relevant authorities.

Police Scotland have now confirmed they have received the data.

Mrs Dowey said: “I'm glad that Police Scotland finally have the data but it's taken far too long for Meta to release it.

"They need to get much better at cooperating with law enforcement agencies as their delays are putting other young people's lives at risk.”

Murray died by suicide after he was tricked into sending compromising pictures by criminals posing as a girl on Instagram.

Mrs Dowey had told BBC News the US Department of Justice obtained a court order requesting the data on 1 May 2024.

She said Meta was not doing “nearly enough to safeguard and protect our children when they use their platforms”.

She accused the firm of “unforgivable behaviour” by “hindering the investigation” and “putting the lives of other children at risk”.

And she said the company appeared unwilling “to co-operate with international law enforcement agencies when things go horribly wrong”.

“How many more children might the perpetrator that drove Murray to take his own life have tormented since Murray died?" she said.

Mrs Dowey made a direct appeal to former Liberal Democrat leader and now Meta president of global affairs Sir Nick Clegg to “sort this out”.

A Meta spokesperson told BBC News: “Our thoughts are with the Dowey family during this difficult time.

“We are in touch with the relevant authorities about this case and are co-operating fully.

"For legal reasons we are not able to comment further.”

In a further statement to the BBC on Thursday, they said:

"We’ve fully cooperated with law enforcement in this investigation, including responding to any data requests."

Sextortion often involves victims being sent a nude picture before being invited to send their own in return - only to then receive threats that the image will be shared publicly unless they meet the blackmailer's demands.

A BBC investigation previously found criminals are selling guides on social media on how to carry out sextortion.

Paul Raffile, an intelligence analyst and expert on sextortion based in the US, said Meta was “dropping the ball”.

He claimed the company has emergency law enforcement response teams who, especially in the case of the death of a child, should be able to provide information within hours or days.

He said: “This isn’t the first time Meta has failed to co-operate with law enforcement following a teen suicide from sextortion that has occurred on their platform”.

In 2022, he claims Meta failed to respond to a request from US Police for data on accounts belonging to teenager Jordan DeMay.

Jordan from Michigan was 17 when he ended his own life after falling victim to a sextortion gang.

“When police finally obtained access to the data, they found that the same scammers had exploited and blackmailed other children," Mr Raffile said.

Two brothers have now been extradited from Nigeria to the US to face trial.

Authorities in Nigeria are also involved in the investigation into Murray’s death but his mother described progress as “painfully slow”.

Describing the criminals who blackmailed her son she said: "They've totally destroyed our family”.

She described her 16-year-old son as a "lovely boy" who had the "best sense of humour".

“As a family we are losing hope that we are going to see any justice for Murray,” she added.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.