A South Carolina state house representative named Brandon Guffey has filed a wrongful death suit against Instagram, saying its practices led to sexual extortion and his 17-year-old son's suicide in 2022. Gavin Guffey, 17, had fatally shot himself in a bathroom, and since then his father has been searching for clues.
According to CNN, Mr Guffey and his younger son started receiving private messages on Instagram, two months after his son's death. The person demanded money in exchange for nude photos of his late son. Anyone on Gavin's Instagram followers list who had the last name Guffey got similar messages.
Soon, the family realised that Gavin was a victim of a sextortion scam on Instagram.
Mr Guffey has sued Instagram's parent company, Meta, for wrongful death, gross negligence and other claims, saying it does not do enough to protect children like Gavin from online predators, CNN reported.
Filed in a South Carolina state court last week, the legal action claims that Meta's social media platforms are responsible for various issues in children, such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and eating disorders. The lawsuit alleges that Meta employs algorithms to target adolescents actively and fails to safeguard them from potential harm adequately.
The suit says that Meta does not have tools in place to protect underage children.
Meta spokesperson told CNN, that teen safety is a big priority for the company and that Meta offers dozens of resources to help its young users stay safe. The company says it also encourages teens to seek help and fight back if targeted.
Minutes before Gavin died by suicide, he sent his younger brother and his friends a heart-shaped symbol of love on a black background.
