The parents of a 16-year-old Scottish boy who died by suicide after being targeted by online sextortion scammers are now suing Instagram's owner, Meta, in a US court.
A Family's Unimaginable Loss
Murray Dowey, from Dunblane in Scotland, was just 16 years old when he became a victim of a horrific online blackmail plot in December 2023. His parents, Mark and Ros Dowey, have launched legal action alongside another bereaved family from Pennsylvania, alleging the social media giant failed to protect young users.
Lawyers from the Social Media Victims Law Centre (SMVLC), who filed the suit, claim Meta "knew of safety features that would prevent sextortion" but chose to "prioritise profit" instead. Ros Dowey told Sky News the family has been left with "unimaginable pain" and is part of a "growing army of parents" devastated by the impact of social media platforms.
The Devastating Scam
It is believed criminals in West Africa, posing as a young girl, tricked Murray into sending intimate images. They then threatened to expose the pictures to his family unless he paid them money. Mrs Dowey described the perpetrators as "scum".
"Murray was absolutely fine when he went up to his room that night," she recounted. "He was talking about going to football the next day, talking about his holiday with his friends. It literally happened in the space of a few hours in his bedroom where he should have been the safest." The family had no chance to intervene, and Murray was found dead the following morning.
Legal Action and Meta's Response
The lawsuit pairs the Doweys with Tricia Maciejewski from Pennsylvania, whose 13-year-old son Levi also took his own life after similar sextortion. Mrs Dowey stated, "We've lost the most precious thing. We've got nothing left to lose... We will see this through to the end."
In response, a Meta spokesperson called sextortion a "horrific crime" and said the company supports law enforcement. They highlighted several safety features, including:
- Placing teens under 16 into private accounts by default.
- Working to prevent suspicious accounts from interacting with teens.
- Blurring potentially sensitive images in direct messages and sending risk warnings.
Murray is remembered as a "lovely, funny, kind boy", a Stirling Albion FC supporter with plans for university. His mother spoke of the enduring void: "Everything we do, we're aware there's a seat empty that should be Murray. And that's going to be for the rest of our lives."
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.
