The New Mexico attorney general has launched a lawsuit against Snap Inc., claiming that the company has not addressed the alarming reports of child grooming, sextortion, and other risks faced by minors on its Snapchat platform. This legal action follows an initial complaint submitted by Attorney General Raúl Torrez on September 4, which was heavily redacted but has since been supplemented with unredacted internal communications from Snap employees and executives.
According to Attorney General Torrez, these documents reveal that Snapchat’s harmful design features contribute to an environment that promotes sexual abuse and unwanted interactions between adults and minors. Some former employees from the company’s trust and safety team raised concerns about management’s resistance to implementing protective measures. Reports of grooming and sextortion were reportedly overlooked, with one account remaining active despite receiving as many as 75 complaints involving terms like “nudes, minors, and extortion.”
Sextortion, a form of extortion involving threats to release explicit photos unless the victim pays or engages in sexual acts, was highlighted in the lawsuit. An internal email from November 2022 indicated that Snapchat was receiving approximately 10,000 user reports of sextortion monthly, making it clear to employees that this represented only a small fraction of the issue, as many users feel ashamed or unsure of how to categorize their experiences when reporting them.
In response to these allegations, Snap emphasized that their platform includes “built-in safety guardrails” and stated that they have made “intentional design choices” to restrict adults from easily discovering minors on the service. The company asserts that they continuously improve their safety policies and mechanisms, employing advanced technology to monitor and curb harmful activities and collaborating with law enforcement and government entities.
Despite these claims, the lawsuit alleges that Snap was aware of the serious nature of the sextortion problem and failed to adequately inform parents, young users, and the general public. The litigation not only addresses sexual abuse but also accuses Snap of facilitating child trafficking and the promotion of illegal drugs and weapons.
