The parents of a 16-year-old boy who took his own life after being targeted by a sextortion gang on Instagram have filed a lawsuit against Meta, alleging wrongful death. Murray Dowey died in December 2023 at his home in Dunblane, Scotland, after being tricked into sending intimate pictures to someone he believed was a girl his age, but who was in fact an overseas criminal.
Ros and Mark Dowey, along with the family of a 13-year-old American victim, filed the case in Delaware, where Meta is incorporated. The lawsuit claims that Murray's death was a foreseeable result of Meta's design decisions, which prioritised engagement over user safety. It alleges that Instagram's features, such as sharing follower and following data, helped sextortionists target teens, despite Meta knowing the risks.
The complaint also accuses Meta of making false statements about Instagram's safety for teenagers, while internal testing showed the platform was matching children with adult predators. This is the first UK case of its kind to focus on sextortion, though four British parents are separately suing TikTok over the 'blackout challenge'.
Matthew Bergman, the Doweys' lawyer, said Meta was involved in all US sextortion cases he had filed, citing a product defect issue. Mark Dowey stated that nothing had changed since his son's death, and that predators could still access children. The family hopes the lawsuit will bring accountability and justice for Murray.
