This past week I had two experiences using mobile apps which had built in features to prevent image / content sharing, and ultimately, making online image theft harder. The first instance was the CPL Ticket Wallet, which prevented you from taking screenshots of the tickets purchased through that app. The second instance, was the F1TV app which does not allow screenshots or screen recording of races.
It then dawned upon me, that if this feature can be employed on those apps, why not consider this as an option for social media apps, particularly in this age of deepfakes and online identity theft. In an age where artificial intelligence can convincingly mimic faces, voices, and gestures, protecting digital identities has never been more critical. One of the easiest ways bad actors create deepfake content is by stealing photos and videos from social media. With just a few images—often publicly available—malicious individuals can train AI models to generate unlawful, damaging, and often pornographic content of innocent people. This is not just a privacy issue. It’s a cybercrime issue.
While these suggestions doesn’t stop someone from using a second device to record, it introduces friction—a key strategy in cybersecurity deterrence.
At CyberSafeTT, we believe social media platforms have a responsibility—and the technical capability—to make the theft of images more difficult, even if it cannot be completely stopped. The goal is deterrence, not delusion. Here’s an approach we recommend, drawing on techniques already used in the entertainment and ticketing industries.
1. Disable Screenshots and Screen Recording In-App
Ticketing apps like CPL Ticket Wallet, Ticketmaster and F1 TV have implemented measures to prevent screenshots and screen recordings by triggering a black screen when such attempts are made. Social media apps should follow suit—especially in private profiles, DMs, and story views—by:
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Disabling screenshots for content flagged as private or sensitive
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Triggering a blank screen when screen recorders are detected
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Notifying users if a screenshot attempt is made on their post or story
While this doesn’t stop someone from using a second device to record, it introduces friction—a key strategy in cybersecurity deterrence.
2. Block Image Downloading and ‘Save As’ Options
Platforms can implement code-level restrictions that:
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Prevent right-click saving or long-press downloading
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Obfuscate image URLs in code so they are not easily extractable
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Disable APIs or third-party apps from mass-exporting content
This is especially important for profile pictures, which are often the first target for impersonation or cloning attacks.
3. Embed Visible and Invisible Watermarks
Platforms should provide optional visible watermarks (e.g., Instagram handle, timestamp) that are layered into images when posted. For more discreet protection, invisible digital watermarks (imperceptible to the eye but traceable by algorithms) can:
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Help identify the original uploader
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Detect if the image has been used in deepfake training datasets
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Serve as forensic evidence if legal action becomes necessary
4. AI-Powered Reverse Image Monitoring
Social media giants can implement built-in tools that allow users to:
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Track where their images have been used online (reverse image search)
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Receive alerts if their photos are found on suspicious or adult websites
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Flag content that may have been manipulated using AI
This goes hand-in-hand with facial recognition alerts that notify users if their likeness appears in unauthorized content across the platform.
5. Strengthen Privacy by Default
Platform policies should default to the most private settings for new users, especially minors. For example:
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Restrict public access to uploaded images unless manually changed
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Limit profile visibility in search results
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Blur images by default for non-followers unless approved
Why It Matters
The ability to clone a person’s face using AI is no longer science fiction. From revenge deepfakes to fraudulent impersonation, we’re seeing real lives damaged by the misuse of images online. While we cannot stop all forms of abuse, social media platforms can take meaningful action to make stealing images more difficult, buying time and providing legal and emotional protection to victims.
At CyberSafeTT, we urge platform developers, policymakers, and tech leaders to treat this issue with urgency. Implementation of such features can go hand in hand with the introduction of Digital Copyright Laws as being issued in Denmark. Protecting our digital likeness is a new frontier in online safety—and we must act now before the lines between truth and fiction become too blurred to fix.
