TikTok Tests Photo Messaging Despite Internal Warnings Over Sextortion Risks—Could It Hurt Parent ByteDance's IPO Plans?

Zinger Points:

TikTok is developing photo messaging despite internal warnings about potential sextortion risks, according to leaked documents.
ByteDance’s planned IPO faces new hurdles as U.S. lawmakers escalate scrutiny over teen safety.
The feature challenges Snap Inc. SNAP but lacks its robust safety measures, internal sources suggest.

TikTok is reportedly developing a new feature that would allow users aged 16 and above in the U.S. to share photos privately via direct messages. While still in testing, the feature has sparked internal concerns over safety risks, particularly the potential for abuse in the form of sextortion — a growing threat on social platforms targeting minors.

According to The Information, some TikTok employees have raised concerns that introducing disappearing photos in direct messages could increase the risk of sextortion and other forms of abuse. Internal discussions cited by the report highlight doubts over the platform's readiness to manage potential misuse, especially given that the feature may lack safeguards already implemented by rivals, such as nudity detection and stricter age verification.

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Rising Threat of Sextortion on Social Media

The timing is particularly sensitive. Sextortion Scams, where minors are coerced into sharing explicit content and then blackmailed, are on the rise globally. The Guardian reported that organized groups like Nigeria's so-called "BM Boys" use platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to target teenage boys, often resulting in devastating outcomes such as suicide.

U.S. law enforcement and child advocacy groups have raised similar alarms. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has tracked a more than 300% spike in sextortion reports since 2021, mostly involving boys aged 14 to 17, emphasizing the importance of robust safety measures on social media platforms.

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Other tech giants have responded to rising concerns with a wave of new safety tools:

Meta Platforms META said it has introduced features that blur nudity in direct messages sent to teens and restricts unsolicited adult contact on Instagram.
Snap said it has introduced new safety tools designed to detect and prevent sextortion attempts, including enhanced friend request protections, in-app alerts for suspicious activity, and expanded parental controls.
Discord, often criticized for lax moderation, is rolling out machine learning models to detect and intercept potentially exploitative material shared through its messaging systems.

TikTok has yet to announce any new safety measures linked to its upcoming messaging feature, The Information reported.

ByteDance's $300 Billion Balancing Act

The renewed scrutiny over TikTok's safety practices comes as parent company ByteDance moves closer to a potential 2025 IPO. Analysts say the company's valuation could reach $300 billion, amid continued pressure from U.S. lawmakers over TikTok's operations. However, unresolved safety concerns—particularly those involving minors—could complicate its pitch to regulators and institutional investors.

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The Federal Trade Commission has already intensified its focus on online platforms’ role in child exploitation, and lawmakers in the U.S. continue to push for TikTok to sever its ties with its Beijing-based parent.

Bottom Line

TikTok must balance growth and innovation with safety investments as it enters Snapchat’s core territory. With ByteDance’s IPO timeline at stake, the coming months will show whether TikTok can replicate its short-form video success in photo sharing without inviting Meta-scale regulatory backlash.

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