Nearly one in five teen Instagram users report receiving unwanted nude images via the platform

Summary

A court filing revealed that nearly 20% of Instagram users aged 13 to 15 reported seeing unwanted nudity or sexual images on the platform, according to a 2021 survey cited in a March 2025 deposition of Instagram head Adam Mosseri. The filing was part of a federal lawsuit in California and reviewed by Reuters. Meta, which owns Instagram, does not typically share survey results and has faced global criticism and lawsuits over the alleged harmful effects of its platforms on minors. The company announced in late 2025 that it would remove explicit content for teen users, with exceptions for medical or educational material. Additionally, 8% of users in the same age group reported seeing self-harm or threats of self-harm on Instagram. Most explicit content was shared via private messages, which Meta avoids reviewing due to privacy concerns.