Parents of Scottish Teen Who Died After Sextortion Sue Meta Over Instagram Safety

A Scottish couple whose teenage son died after being targeted in an online sextortion scam have launched legal action against Meta, the company that owns Instagram, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind involving a UK family.

Mark and Ros Dowey, from Dunblane, allege that Instagram failed to protect their son Murray, who was 16 when he was blackmailed by criminals posing as a young girl online. Murray died in December 2023 after being threatened that intimate images he had shared would be sent to family and friends unless he paid money.

The lawsuit has been filed in a United States court and seeks punitive damages. Lawyers acting for the family argue that Meta was aware of weaknesses in its platform that allowed sextortion to flourish but did not act quickly enough to address them.

Meta said it is committed to tackling sextortion and works closely with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible. The company added that it has introduced new protections for teenagers in recent years.

Allegations of ignored warnings

According to legal representatives for the Dowey family, internal evidence suggests Meta was aware years before Murray’s death. They knew that design choices on Instagram made it easier for adults to contact and exploit young users.

The claim alleges that the platform prioritised growth and engagement over user safety. This occurred despite warnings from safety specialists working within the company.

Speaking publicly, Ms Dowey said the legal action was about accountability. It was not just for her son, but also for other families affected by similar crimes.

“We believe there were opportunities to prevent what happened,” she said. “This is about making sure no other child is put in the same position.”

How the scam unfolded

Murray is believed to have been targeted by an organised criminal network operating from West Africa. He was persuaded to share intimate images before being threatened with exposure unless he made a payment.

Police and child protection groups report a significant increase in sextortion schemes. Young people are often targeted through social media direct messages.

Experts describe the crime as highly organised, with online guides openly circulating on how to carry out such scams.

Meta’s response

A spokesperson for Meta said the company has introduced a number of safety measures since 2021. These measures include automatically placing accounts of users under 16 into private mode. They also limit who can contact them.

The spokesperson added that Instagram now blurs potentially sensitive images in private messages. It warns users about the risks of sharing intimate content. Instagram also alerts users when they are communicating with someone in another country.

However, Murray’s parents argue that these changes came too late and did not apply to existing accounts like their son’s.

Wider legal action

The Dowey family is being represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, which is also acting for families in the UK and the United States pursuing legal cases against major technology companies.

The lawsuit includes another family from the US whose 13-year-old son also died after a sextortion attempt.

Campaigners say the cases highlight the urgent need for stronger regulation of social media platforms to protect children from online exploitation.