Snapchat Is A “Breeding Ground” For Child Predators According New Mexico Prosecutors

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has launched a lawsuit against Snap Inc. following an undercover investigation, accusing it of creating a “breeding ground” for child sexual exploitation through its Snapchat app. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that Snapchat’s disappearing images and messages have facilitated predators in collecting sexually explicit images of children and using them for extortion.

According to the state, Snapchat has become the “predominant forum” for these “sextortion” schemes, largely because of its unique design features. The platform’s ephemeral messaging and other elements that connect users have created a “false sense of security,” making it easier for predators to target minors, the lawsuit argues.

The suit follows a months-long undercover investigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice, which uncovered a “vast network” of dark websites that are sharing nonconsensual images from Snapchat. According to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office, the investigation found over 10,000 such records in the past year alone.

“Our undercover investigation revealed that Snapchat’s harmful design features create an environment where predators can easily target children through sextortion schemes and other forms of sexual abuse,” Attorney General Torrez said in a statement.

Torrez blasted Snap Inc. for allegedly misleading users into believing their content would disappear after being viewed. “Snap has misled users into believing that photos and videos sent on their platform will disappear, but predators can permanently capture this content and they have created a virtual yearbook of child sexual images that are traded, sold, and stored indefinitely,” he added.

The lawsuit also argues that Snapchat’s efforts to differentiate itself from other social media platforms are misleading and potentially dangerous.

“Snap may claim that Snapchat is unlike other social media, but those claims are false and knowingly so,” the lawsuit states. “Snap’s conduct is not only dangerously deceptive; it is unlawful.”

New Mexico is not stopping with Snap Inc. The state is also suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for allegedly enabling similar child sexual exploitation activities on its platforms.

Snap Inc. responded to the allegations on Thursday, stating that they are reviewing the Attorney General’s complaint and will respond in court.

“We share Attorney General Torrez’s and the public’s concerns about the online safety of young people and are deeply committed to Snapchat being a safe and positive place for our entire community, particularly for our younger users,” a Snap spokesperson said in a statement. “We have been working diligently to find, remove and report bad actors, educate our community, and give teens, as well as parents and guardians, tools to help them be safe online.”

The spokesperson added, “We understand that online threats continue to evolve and we will continue to work diligently to address these critical issues.”