The parent of a 13-year-old American boy who took his own life after falling victim to a sextortion scam on Instagram has filed a lawsuit against Meta, the platform's parent company. The legal action alleges the social media giant made deliberate design choices that endangered young users.
A devastating sequence of events
Levi Maciejewski, aged 13, died by suicide on 20 August 2024. According to a lawsuit filed this week, his death came just two days after he created his first Instagram account. The complaint states a predator, posing as a young girl, quickly convinced Levi to send compromising images.
The scammer then demanded $300, threatening to send the photos to the boy's friends and family if he did not pay. The lawsuit claims Levi only had $37.18 and some cash available. Feeling "vulnerable and trapped," he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Legal allegations against the tech giant
Levi's mother, Tricia Maciejewski, filed the suit in Delaware's Superior Court on Wednesday, seeking punitive damages and a jury trial. The lawsuit accuses Meta of prioritising "engagement over user safety" and making "false and misleading statements" about Instagram's safety for teenagers.
"Meta's secret is out," said Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, which is representing the family. "For years, Meta knew Instagram was a hunting ground for predators, yet chose to protect engagement metrics over children's lives."
The legal filing claims internal Meta testing showed the platform was "matchmaking children to adult predators." It argues Levi's death was a "foreseeable" result of the company's decisions and its refusal to implement known safety measures.
A wider pattern of exploitation
The lawsuit also represents the family of Murray Dowey, a 16-year-old from Dunblane, Scotland, who died by suicide in December 2023 after a similar sextortion scheme. The crime is described as a "horrific" and rapidly growing threat, typically targeting teenage boys between 14 and 17, often without prior mental health issues.
Data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicates a sharp rise, with 23,593 reports of financial sextortion in the first half of 2024 alone—a 70% increase. Another recent victim was Bryce Tate, 15, from West Virginia, who took his own life in November.
In response to the allegations, a Meta spokesperson called sextortion a "horrific crime" and outlined protective steps, including making accounts private by default for users under 16, restricting adult contact with teens, and blurring sensitive images in direct messages.
Levi's family has established a foundation called Live Like Levi in his memory, hoping to raise awareness and prevent other families from enduring similar tragedy.
