'Don't Be a Wang' aims to help teenagers deal with sextortion

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) in Canada goes straight to the devices in the hands of teenagers with this short campaign to warn them about the dangers of 'sextortion' - an activity that is being increasingly reported. ALERT wanted to speak to teens in their own language, using singing and dancing eggplant and peach emojis to get a serious message across in a way most likely to be received. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) describes sextortion as "a type of blackmail where someone tries to use intimate, naked or sexual photos or videos of you to make you do things you don't want to do". It explains that criminals often target people who use dating apps, social media platforms, webcam/live streaming sites or websites related to pornography. "They might pretend to be someone else online and become friends with you. Later, they might threaten to share pictures or videos with your family and friends". What do you think of the ALERT campaign?

Keywords: ALERT 'Don't Be A Wang', sextortion, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, child protection online, sexual blackmail, teenagers online safety, DDB Canada