1 in 5 teens exposed to unwanted sexual content on Instagram, report finds

A Meta user survey found 19% of young teens on Instagram reportedly seeing unwanted nude images or explicit content.

Nearly 1 in 5 users aged 13 to 15 told Meta that they saw “nudity or sexual images on Instagram” that they didn’t want to view, according to a court filing.

The document, made public on Friday as part of a federal lawsuit in California and reviewed by Reuters, includes portions of a March 2025 deposition of Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

In another document that dated January 20, 2021 and was made public as part of the lawsuit, a Meta researcher recommends the company focus on teen users because they are "catalysts" for their households and influence how their younger siblings and parents use the app.

"If we're looking to acquire and retain new users, we need to recognize a teen's influence within the household to help do so," the researcher said in the memo.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is facing allegations from global leaders that the company's products harm young users.

In the U.S., thousands of lawsuits in federal and state court accuse the company of designing addictive products and fueling a mental-health crisis for minors.

The statistic on explicit images came from a 2021 survey of Instagram users about their experiences on the platform, said Meta spokesperson Andy Stone, and not a review of posts themselves.

About 8% of users in the 13 to 15 age group said in the 2021 survey they had “seen someone harm themselves or threaten to do so on Instagram,” according to Mosseri's deposition.

The company in late 2025 said, opens new tab for teen users, it would remove images and videos “containing nudity or explicit sexual activity, including when generated by AI,” with exceptions considered for medical and educational content.

"We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better," Stone said.

Most sexually explicit images were sent via private messages between users, Mosseri said in his deposition, and Meta must consider users’ privacy when reviewing them.

“A lot of people don't want us reading their messages,” he said.

In the landmark court case, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is ‌facing allegations from global leaders that the company’s products harm young users. In the U.S., thousands of lawsuits in federal and state court accuse the company of designing addictive products and fueling a mental-health crisis for minors.

The statistic on explicit images, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told Reuters, came from a survey of Instagram users about their experiences on the platform. In late 2025, the company said it would remove images and videos “containing nudity or explicitly sexual activity, including when generated by AI” for teen users, except possibly for medical and educational content.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better,” Stone said.

About 8% of users aged 13 to 15 also said they had “seen someone harm themselves or threaten to do so on Instagram,” according to the deposition, reported Reuters.

Most sexually explicit images were sent via private messages between users, Mosseri said in his deposition, noting that Meta must consider users’ privacy when reviewing them.

“A lot of people don’t want us reading their messages,” he said.

The news comes amid what appears to be a sexting surge among teens — as well as a wave of countries (but not the U.S.) banning or limiting social-media use for teens.