Big tech failing to detect sextortion with Australian cases continuing to rise, new eSafety report shows

Organised criminal gangs are preying on young Australian men and boys at a “catastrophic” rate, coercing them into sharing intimate sexual images which they used to blackmail their victims into complying with financial demands.

More than 2000 reports of sexual extortion were made to Australia’s eSafety commission in the second half of 2025, with men and boys accounting for 85 per cent of victims.

Men aged 18 to 24 were the most likely to report being the target of sextortion attempts, with 803 complaints, while men aged 25 to 39 made 574 complaints.

ESafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the actions of these scammers could have fatal consequences, with sextortion linked to 17 suicides in Victoria alone.

“They try to make them pay but we know that that can escalate into really terrible psychological and emotional distress,” she told the ABC.

“Sometimes they feel like their life is over and one of the key tips we give them is to disclose, disclose, disclose. You won’t be surprised that it’s an under reported crime.”

Ms Inman Grant’s transparency report — the third in the series — found platforms had significant blind spots in protecting youths online, despite having some of the most sophisticated technology in the world.

Apps favoured by scammers continually failed to identify and block well-worn coercion scripts and did little to respond to the threat — even when evidence was provided to them by the eSafety Commission.

“My investigators continue to see the same kill chains, scripts and images being used across multiple sexual extortion scams, and platforms should be picking this up,” Ms Inman Grant said.

“These are some of the most innovative companies on the planet. We would like to see some of this innovation going into the development of new technologies to tackle the worst-of-the-worst online content.”

Of particular concern to the commission was the failure by tech platforms including Microsoft, Apple, Discord and Google to use language analysis technology to detect sexual extortion of children.

Ms Inman Grant said there were gaps in reporting tools when users tried to speak up, with some services lacking adequate categories and clear, accessible ways for users to report.

“We’re deeply concerned about the devastating impacts of sexual extortion, which not only target vulnerable individuals but also have profound psychological and emotional consequences for victims and their families,” she said.

And the problem is growing, while victims are getting younger. Ms Inman Grant said scammers were targeting boys as young as 15, hounding them for money to prevent the public release of intimate images.

A 2025 report from the eSafety Commission and Australian Institute of Criminology found more than one in 10 16 to 18-year-olds had experienced sextortion in their lifetime, more than half of whom had first encountered it before the age of 16. Boys were far more likely to have received financial demands from their blackmailer, while girls were more likely to receive demands for more intimate images.

Initial contact was most commonly made by scammers via dating app Tinder, before typically moving the interaction to a different platform — often ones which employ encryption services, making them harder to track — where threats would be made.

The most commonly referenced platform in complaints of sexual extortion was Instagram, with 695 references, followed by WhatsApp with 612 and Telegram with 558.

Communication Minister Anika Wells urged big tech companies to use all tools possible to stop Australia’s being sexually extorted.

Speaking in Queensland on Tuesday, Ms Wells said companies behind popular social media, messaging, and live streaming platforms had “no excuses” and needed to work harder or risk facing large fines.

“This is some of the most heinous content and conduct that we see online, and yet the report has found that big tech is simply not doing enough,” she said.

“They have the tools, they have the resources, and yet they are choosing not to use them with full effect.

“My message for big tech is this ‘there are no excuses here’. Big tech is required under Australian law to protect Australians online from illegal material or face fines of up to $54.6 million.”

We have removal powers for this content and a 98 per cent success rate in getting it down.

Curtin MP Kate Chaney said the latest report was evidence the Government should fast track the introduction of the upcoming Digital Duty of Care.

The legislation would place the legal onus on tech companies to ensure their platforms are safe.

“A digital duty of care cannot come soon enough. Platforms must be required to take reasonable steps to prevent harm,” Ms Chaney said.

“They have the tools — not addressing sexual exploitation and other harms is a choice to put profit over safety.”

Ms Inman Grant said victims should collect evidence, cut contact with the blackmailer, to not pay them, and to disclose the crime.

“We have removal powers for this content and a 98 per cent success rate in getting it down,” she said.

• If intimate content is shared online you can also report it to eSafety at www.esafety.gov.au/report.
• If you are under 18, you can report to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).

If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to headspace.org.au.