Scammers use Meta's copyright tools to extort content creators

There has been an alarming rise in extortion cases targeting content creators and influencers, with individuals exploiting copyright management tools from Meta, the company behind platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. According to recent reports from Bloomberg, the New York news magazine, scammers are misusing these tools, which are designed to protect creators' content, to commit fraud.

The scammers' modus operandi is to make false copyright claims through Meta's tools, which leads to the removal of legitimate content from creators. Once the content is removed, the scammers contact the affected parties and offer to restore the content in exchange for substantial payments, threatening to continue their fraudulent claims if their demands are not met.

These practices are prevalent in the Middle East, but cases have also been reported among European influencers and elsewhere. The situation is particularly worrying because the scammers have found ways to access Meta's copyright management tools to file infringement claims and remove published content. This strategy damages the reputation and earnings of content creators by taking advantage of defences designed to protect their intellectual property rights.

The influencer community is alarmed and has pointed out the urgent need for Meta to improve its security and verification measures. It is expected that Meta will respond with additional measures to mitigate these risks and protect user’s rights, while affected influencers seek legal and strategic solutions to defend against this kind of digital extortion.