A recent lawsuit filed against Snapchat reveals serious allegations about the social media platform's failure to protect young users from sextortion and other dangerous behaviors.
According to the lawsuit, Snapchat allowed these harmful activities to continue while struggling to find ways to address them without frightening its users and their parents.
New Mexico AG Alleges Snapchat Neglects Child Safety
The lawsuit was initiated by New Mexico's Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, who claims that Snapchat has become a "breeding ground for predators."
In early September, he highlighted how the platform has been used by predators to collect sexually explicit images of children and manipulate them into providing more explicit content.
The unredacted documents from the lawsuit were made public on Tuesday (October 1), showing that the company prioritized growth over user safety and failed to tackle the issues effectively.
Internal documents from Snapchat indicated a troubling trend: the company was receiving about 10,000 user reports of sextortion every month. Despite this alarming number, Snapchat did not take proper action to warn children and parents about the risks associated with its platform, according to NY Daily News.
The court documents reveal that Snap was aware of the significant sextortion problems but did not adequately inform users or their families. This negligence has led to severe consequences, with some children reportedly feeling so overwhelmed by blackmail threats that they considered suicide.
Snapchat's features, which promote the fleeting nature of images, may contribute to the unsafe environment. A consultant noted that this quality creates a false sense of security, encouraging inappropriate content and behavior among young users.
Furthermore, an internal analysis suggested that the actual incidents of sextortion reported might only be a small portion of what is happening. Many victims, fearing embarrassment or not knowing how to report such incidents, chose not to come forward.
In an internal investigation from 2023, 70% of victims did not report their abuse to Snap. Among the 30% who did, the findings revealed that the company often failed to act on their complaints. This lack of response raises concerns about the platform's commitment to user safety, especially regarding minors.
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Snapchat's Management Pushback on Safety Measures
Former employees in the trust and safety department reported feeling "pushback" from management when they proposed safety measures. They voiced worries that numerous reports about grooming and sextortion were being dismissed, allowing harmful accounts to remain active despite receiving numerous warnings.
One particularly alarming case mentioned in the lawsuit involved an account that continued to operate even after receiving 75 separate reports related to "nudes, minors, and extortion."
On September 4, Attorney General Torrez filed the initial complaint, which had significant sections redacted. However, the release of the full documents painted a clearer picture of the alleged misconduct within Snapchat, said AP News.
The lawsuit accuses Snap of not only failing to protect young users but also of enabling dangerous activities like child trafficking and the sale of illegal drugs and firearms.
Related Article: Snapchat Accused of Facilitating Child Sexual Abuse in New Mexico Lawsuit
