Social media influencers on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, are facing an alarming new challenge: extortion tactics centered around false copyright claims.
Recent reports indicate that scammers are misusing Meta’s own rights management tools to issue fraudulent copyright takedowns on influencers’ content. These malicious individuals do not actually own the content but leverage the system to threaten creators.
Influencers are being coerced into paying thousands of dollars, with demands sometimes including ongoing payments to avoid future illegitimate takedowns.
Extortion Tactics Using Meta’s Tools
The issue is particularly rampant among influencers in the Middle East, who report their content being targeted for takedowns under fabricated copyright claims. When they sought clarification from the scammers behind the claims, the fraudsters admitted there was no legitimate copyright concern and proceeded to demand payments.
This fraudulent activity appears to be escalating, as these scams yield success, prompting more scammers to adopt similar tactics.
One influencer from Iraq revealed that a scammer demanded $3,000 to restore taken-down content and offered to prevent future strikes for either $1,000 monthly or an upfront yearly payment of $7,000.
Although scamming via copyright claims has existed for years, recent developments show a shift in strategy. Scammers are now gaining unauthorized access to Meta’s rights management tools, allowing them to execute real takedowns, which makes their extortion efforts even more credible.
Fraudulent Copyright Issues on Social Media
Content creators frequently battle against individuals who misuse their content online, leading to unauthorized monetization that deprives original creators of their earnings.
In response, platforms have developed rights management tools aimed at protecting creators by helping them assert ownership over their content. These tools enable creators to take proactive steps, including issuing takedown requests against unauthorized uploads.
However, some scammers have learned to exploit these protections by uploading stolen content, allowing the platforms to wrongly recognize them as the legitimate owners.
This trend is not only confined to Meta-owned platforms but has also been observed on YouTube, where fraudulent copyright claims have become distressingly common. For instance, previous reports highlighted how two scammers managed to illegally claim over $23 million by misappropriating songs they had no rights to through YouTube’s Content ID system.
The potential for significant financial gain continues to drive this exploitation, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current copyright management systems across social media platforms as they strive to eliminate these fraudulent activities.
ECNETNews will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
