Mehta withdrew a job offer from a prominent cyber intelligence analyst shortly after criticizing Instagram for its lack of protection for children online.
Paul Lafail was offered a job as a human exploitation investigator focusing on issues like sextortion and human trafficking. He criticized Instagram for exposing children to scammers during an April 24 webinar on protecting against financial sextortion schemes and offered potential solutions.
Speaking about the rescinded offer, Rafail mentioned, “The only reason I can think of why the offer was rescinded is because we are trying to shine a light on this huge problem of these crimes that are happening on Instagram, and Instagram has so far done little to prevent it. It’s not doing anything.”
Rafail co-hosted a webinar featuring parents of children who died after being scammed on Instagram, attended by various organizations including Meta, law enforcement agencies, and tech companies.
Rafail revealed that he spoke briefly during the webinar and was offered a position starting at $175,000 annually, but it was rescinded right after the event.
Meta declined to comment on the situation, citing it as a “personal personnel matter.”
Rafail highlighted the rise of financial sextortion schemes affecting underage victims, mainly teenage boys, and criticized social media platforms’ lack of action against such cybercrimes.
Rafail criticized Instagram’s design features that aid in cybercrime like encryption schemes and emphasized the need for stronger measures to protect minors from financial sextortion.
Meta responded by stating they have strict rules against sharing intimate images without consent, but Rafail questioned their effectiveness in preventing financial sextortion.
Highlighting the issue of financial sextortion, Rafail expressed disappointment in social media companies’ slow response in addressing the problem compared to his previous experiences in eliminating such crimes swiftly.
A Meta spokesperson acknowledged the global nature of sextortionists and emphasized the need for a collaborative effort to combat such crimes.
Source: www.theguardian.com
