New Mexico sues Snap over its alleged failure to protect kids from sextortion schemes

New Mexico's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Snap, accusing the company of failing to protect children from sextortion, sexual exploitation, and other harms on Snapchat. The suit claims that Snapchat's features foster the sharing of child sexual abuse material and facilitate child sexual exploitation. An investigation by the state's Department of Justice found over 10,000 records related to Snap and child sexual abuse material in the last year alone, making Snapchat the biggest source of images and videos on dark web sites examined. The lawsuit alleges that criminals use Snapchat to victimize minors and that the app's recommendation algorithm links accounts that openly share and sell child sexual abuse material. The suit also claims that Snapchat's design features create an environment where predators can target children through sextortion schemes and other forms of sexual abuse. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated that the state will continue to hold platforms accountable for prioritizing profits over children's safety. A Snap spokesperson responded that the company is reviewing the complaint and will respond to the claims in court, emphasizing their commitment to making Snapchat a safe and positive place for all users, particularly younger ones.