Mum of tragic sextortion death teen blasts Meta over data release delay

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The mum of a Scots teen who ended his life after becoming the victim of a sextortion gang on Instagram says Meta has failed to hand over vital data which could help the probe into his tragic death.Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was 16 when he died last December after being targeted by scammers claiming to be a young girl, and tricked him into sending an intimate image, and then blackmailed him.His mum, Ros, told BBC News that Meta, which owns Instagram, has so far failed to provide the information from Murray’s account despite a request from Police Scotland and a court order.Ros Dowey said: “Instagram still have not released the vital data relating to the criminal investigation into his death that Police Scotland first asked for in January”.The mum says the US Department of Justice obtained a court order requesting the data on 1 May 2024, but there has yet to be a response from Meta.She says the firm is not doing “nearly enough to safeguard and protect our children when they use their platforms”.She accused Meta of “unforgivable behaviour” by “hindering the investigation” and “putting the lives of other children at risk”.And she claimed they appeared unwilling “to co-operate with international law enforcement agencies when things go horribly wrong”.“How many more children might the perpetrator that drove Murray to take his own life have tormented since Murray died?" she said.A Meta spokesperson told BBC News: “Our thoughts are with the Dowey family during this difficult time.“We are in touch with the relevant authorities about this case and are co-operating fully."For legal reasons we are not able to comment further.”A spokesperson for Police Scotland said inquiries to establish the circumstances leading up to Murray's