Bad actors have been manipulating Meta’s rights management tools to blackmail Middle Eastern social media influencers, threatening to erase their Instagram posts unless they pay up. One such victim, Iraqi influencer Esaa Ahmed-Adnan, who boasts over 500,000 followers, has seen a surge in unusual copyright infringement notifications, despite adhering to content guidelines.
Copyright Violation Claims
In May 2023, Ahmed-Adnan received an Instagram alert flagging a sponsored post for a local eatery, labeling it a copyright infringement and subsequently removing it. This was puzzling for Ahmed-Adnan, who told Bloomberg his content avoids copyrighted elements, as the video depicted only his visit to the restaurant.
Following this incident, more of Ahmed-Adnan’s content was reported and taken down. Among these was a video promoting a Tigris River cleanup initiative. The video, which captured him discussing the cleanup efforts, also devoid of copyrighted materials, was flagged and removed similarly.
Scammers’ Demands
The sequence of these takedowns implies a deliberate campaign by scammers to exploit Meta’s copyright enforcement mechanisms. They aim to extort money by threatening content removal. Affected influencers are left with no choice but to comply to prevent their content from being erased, revealing a flaw in Meta’s platform oversight.
In an email to Times of India, Meta explained that is maintains strict takedown measures. “We routinely revoke access or disable accounts when we identify cases of misuse and we invest heavily in them so people around the world can protect their rights and manage their content at scale.” The company also points out that its rights management policies are global and not region specific.
Last Updated on November 7, 2024 3:28 pm CET
