The family of a teenage boy who took his own life after being blackmailed on Instagram are suing the platform’s owner Meta.

Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing.

Murray Dowey, from Dunblane in Scotland, was just 16 years old when he became a victim of online sextortion in December 2023.

His parents, Mark and Ros Dowey, have now launched legal action against Meta in a US court alongside another family amid claims the tech giant failed to protect children on its platforms.

Lawyers are alleging the company “knew of safety features that would prevent sextortion” but instead “prioritised profit”.

Mrs Dowey told Sky News there is a “growing army of parents” who have suffered “unimaginable pain” due to social media platforms.

She added: “We’ve lost the most precious thing. We’ve got nothing left to lose.

“We will see this through to the end because the worst thing that could happen to us has already happened.”

Meta, which also owns Facebook, branded sextortion a “horrific crime” and said it supports law enforcement to prosecute the criminals behind it.

The firm added: “We continue to fight them on our apps on multiple fronts.”

It is believed Murray was exploited by criminals in West Africa, who posed as a young girl.

The teenager was tricked into sending intimate images of himself and was told they would be exposed to his family if he failed to pay.

Mrs Dowey branded the scammers “scum”.

She added: “Murray was absolutely fine when he went up to his room that night. 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.

“There was no opportunity for us to intervene or notice something was wrong because he didn’t come through for whatever reason.

“He went from absolutely fine to dead the next morning.”

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Mrs Dowey described her son as a “lovely, funny, kind boy who had everything to live for”.

The Stirling Albion FC supporter loved going out with his friends and was expected to go on to university after secondary school.

Mrs Dowey said: “We’re just all devastated. He’s got an older and a younger brother, so he was the middle peacemaker between them.

“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 as his brothers graduate, as they get married, as they have children.

“It’s been horrific to have gone from a completely normal family to having to live with this for the rest of our lives.”

The lawsuit has been filed by the Social Media Victims Law Centre (SMVLC).

The Doweys have been named alongside Tricia Maciejewski, from Pennsylvania, whose son Levi took his own life at the age of 13.

Meta highlighted a number of its safety features which aims to combat potentially suspicious adults and potential sextortion accounts, which includes a new block and report option in DMs.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “Since 2021, we’ve placed teens under 16 into private accounts when they sign up for Instagram, which means they have to approve any new followers.

“We work to prevent accounts showing suspicious behaviour from following teens and avoid recommending teens to them.

“We also take other precautionary steps, like blurring potentially sensitive images sent in DMs and reminding teens of the risks of sharing them, and letting people know when they’re chatting to someone who may be in a different country.”

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.

Controversial reforms to inheritance tax are the “single biggest issue” facing farmers, according to a long-awaited report into the profitability of the sector.

The Farming Profitability Review – authored by Baroness Minette Batters, former head of the National Farmers’ Union – says the industry is “bewildered and frightened” of what might lie ahead.

The publication of the government-commissioned review had been delayed, with some claiming it was shelved till after the chancellor’s budget last month, to avoid scrutiny.

The report makes 57 recommendations on how the government can improve profitability – with Baroness Batters saying farmers are facing “huge economic challenges”.

But it stops short of offering alternative proposals to inheritance tax reforms (IHT), with Baroness Batters saying that was outside the terms of reference set.

The changes – due to come into force next April – will see farms with assets of more than £1m pay 20% tax. Previously farms had been exempt.

The reforms have led to thousands of farmers protesting in London over the last year, with many saying the IHT payments will make many smaller farms no longer viable.

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“Nearly all the responses to this review have cited inheritance tax as the single biggest issue regarding farming viability that they face. The farming sector is bewildered and frightened of what might lie ahead,” said Baroness Batters.

She added that the “core focus” of her recommendations is to “restore balance between food production and the environment”.

The report highlights the threats of climate change to farming, which accounts for 70% of UK total land.

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Recommendations also include growing ‘Brand Britain’ through increased exports and supermarket sales – and ensuring better monitoring of supply chain fairness.

Reacting to the report, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs announced a new board to bring together senior leaders from farming, food production, retail, finance and government to strengthen UK food production.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “When farming thrives, the whole country benefits. British farmers are central to our food security, our rural economy and the stewardship of our countryside.

“Baroness Batters’ review underlines the need for government, farming and the food industry to work much more closely together. That is exactly what the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will do.”

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Baroness Minette Batters said: “I’m pleased that the Secretary of State recognises the need to establish a new approach to growing the British brand at home and abroad by producing, creating and selling more from our farms in a measurable way.

“With ever more extreme weather, the horrific, ongoing war in Ukraine and 69.7 million people in the UK now is the time to deliver food security as national security.”

The government will set out its full response in a new 25-year Farming Roadmap, due for publication next year.

A photograph of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children has been selected as the family’s Christmas card for 2025.

The family picture shows William and Kate sitting on grass surrounded by their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

Charlotte, 10, is resting her head on her father’s shoulder and holding onto his arm, while Louis is leaning back into William’s chest, and Kate has her arm around George.

The image, posted on Kensington Palace’s social media, was taken by photographer Josh Shinner in Norfolk in April and shows the group surrounded by daffodils.

The post reads: “Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas.”

The family are spending the festive season together and on Christmas Day are expected to be joining the King and the rest of the Royal Family at Sandringham in Norfolk.

A few weeks ago, the family moved into the eight-bedroom home, Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

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The change is seen as a fresh start for the Waleses after Kate’s recovery from cancer, which she announced at the start of 2025, following what William branded a “brutal” 2024.

Earlier this month, Kate took part in her fifth Together at Christmas carol service, honouring people who strengthen their communities.

The photos for the Christmas card appeared to be from the same shoot used to capture portraits for George’s 12th and Louis’ seventh birthdays.