Instagram users say ‘porn bots’ keep liking their Stories 

Bots have been on the internet for decades, but it looks like they’re getting more and more sophisticated. 

Instagram users are increasingly noticing that their Stories are being liked by porn bots – fake accounts that try to lure users in with sexual photos. 

Many frustrated users have taken to Twitter to share their experiences, with one saying ‘porn bots liking my Instagram stories is the only love I’m capable of receiving’. 

Another said: ‘I love when Instagram porn bots like my stories of show flyers bc it’s nice to know at least SOMEONE cares.’ 

One Instagram user recently shared her experience of being inundated with sexual comments from fake accounts with explicit profile pictures.  

One Twitter user posted: ‘Big shoutout to the porn bots liking instagram stories and giving endless meaningless notifications.’ 

Another said: I only post Comic Book art on my Instagram stories why are porn bots watching.’ 

One particularly angry user tweeted: ‘I wish all instagram porn bots a very PLEASE STOP F***ING FOLLOWING ME.’ 

In response to the issue, a Meta spokesman said: ‘We want the content you see on Instagram to be authentic, and we block millions of fake and spam accounts every day. 

‘We continue to invest in anti-spam technology, and in our safety and security team of over 40,000 people, who are focused on keeping spam and other types of harmful content off our platforms.’

Porn bots are a particular subset of internet bots – automated online accounts controlled by software rather than an actual person. 

Most bots are fairly simple in design – just a few lines of code with a database – but some bots are more complex and use artificial intelligence (AI) in an attempt to imitate humans. 

Porn bots have images of attractive people – usually women – in suggestive poses and have links to fake porn sites on their bios.  

Clicking on these links can be dangerous, as they may install malware, like viruses, spyware or ransomware, on your device, according to one expert. 

‘It may seem innocent enough or even tempting to check a link under a new follower,’ Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, told MailOnline.

‘But these fake accounts can have dangerous links associated which could unload more nefarious content such as the request of personal data or include a virus. 

‘Red flags such as low follower counts and the fact the account has noticed you out of the blue should be enough to make you avoid it.’ 

Mara Miano, a cybersecurity expert at ActiveFence, thinks liking Instagram Stories may more effectively dupe people into thinking a bot account is real. 

Instagram Stories are photos or video that disappear after 24 hours and are different from posts that permanently stay on a user’s profile. 

Porn bots are likely deliberated coded to like Instagram Stories rather than just the standard Instagram posts. 

‘While it may seem like an inconspicuous move, [liking an Instagram Story] is actually a tried-and-true tactic that bot accounts deploy to appear legitimate,’ Miano told VICE.

‘If you’re an Instagram user and you’re uncomfortable receiving likes from porn bots, we recommend that you report the account. 

‘The flag will be channeled into Instagram’s systems for analysis, which could potentially lead to the removal of the account.’ 

Porn bots are also found on other social media accounts such as Twitter, where owner Elon Musk appears to be having trouble getting them removed.  

Twitter users have shared snapshots of their inboxes filled with fake accounts offering them free nude pics, cryptocurrency opportunities and job positions. 

According to Moore, bot accounts tend to be removed quickly when large numbers of people report them. 

Instagram users can report a suspected bot by clicking on the three dots in the top right hand corner of their profile followed by ‘Report’.