Investigation exposed how paedophiles use the site
Pinterest has announced it is releasing new safety measures after a news investigation revealed paedophiles are using the platform to create sexualised image boards of young girls.
The image-sharing platform, used for finding inspiration for the recipes, home and style, is introducing additional parental controls and updated age verification policies, among other things.
Last month, American site NBC News published an investigation which exposed how adult men were using Pinterest to save photos youngsters uploaded of themselves to boards with titles like ‘young girls’, ‘sexy little girls’, ‘hot’, ‘delicious’ and ‘guilty pleasures’. These boards sometimes contained thousands of images and videos of children.
Additionally, Pinterest’s algorithm is recommending similar content to predators that they initially looked for, perpetuating the alarming behaviour.
The report was shocking since Pinterest has a reputation for being a wholesome and safe social media platform.
The company has added more restrictions for users under the age of 16, along with updates to its control options, which will stop youngsters from sharing too much in the app.
Those under 16 will see their account private by default. This means that it will not be discoverable by others.
However, Pinterest also said that it would soon re-open some of its previously locked-down features for teens to allow them to once again message and share content with others after approving contacts.
Currently, for under 16s, boards and pins aren’t visible or accessible to anyone but themselves.
Pinterest explained: “We know that this isn’t ideal for younger people who use Pinterest to collaborate with their friends and family, but we don’t want anyone contacting you without your permission.
“So this summer, we aim to reintroduce the ability for you to share inspiration with the people you know and trust in real life, as long as you give them permission.
“Put simply: Are you under 16 and looking to share your ideas with IRL friends on Pinterest? No problem. Total strangers getting in touch to comment on what you’re doing? No thanks.”
Furthermore, Pinterest will also now require ID verification if an underage user tries to change their birth date in the app.
And there will be more options for parents and guardians, for example, they will have the ability to require a passcode for their teen to change certain account settings.
Other protective measures in place include a ban on face-changing filters (which can lead to negative self-perception) and rules to combat body shaming.
“Pinterest has unique policies that don’t allow people to body shame on the platform – and that extends to brands, too,” the firm said. “For example, weight loss ads have been particularly harmful to emotional well-being, so we simply don’t allow them.”
