Snapchat, the popular photo-sharing app known for its disappearing messages, is facing legal trouble over allegations that its design makes it easy for predators to target children. New Mexico's Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., the app's parent company, accusing it of creating an environment ripe for child exploitation and abuse.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleges that Snapchat's core features, including:
- Disappearing messages that give users a false sense of security
- The Quick Add feature that allows strangers to easily message minors
- Algorithms that may connect predators with potential victims
These design elements, according to the suit, have made Snapchat a preferred platform for criminals engaged in sextortion schemes and the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Key points from the investigation:
- An undercover operation created a decoy account posing as a 14-year-old girl
- The decoy account received messages from profiles with names like child.rape and pedo_lover10
- Over 10,000 records related to Snapchat and CSAM were found on the dark web in 2023
- Snapchat was identified as the largest source of CSAM images and videos among investigated dark web sites
The lawsuit seeks to:
- Force Snap to change its allegedly illegal practices
- Impose financial penalties on the company
- Require Snap to give up profits deemed unjustly obtained
This legal action follows a similar suit filed against Meta (Facebook's parent company) by the New Mexico Attorney General's office. Both cases focus on product design rather than user-generated content, potentially sidestepping protections offered by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Snap has previously claimed to invest heavily in trust and safety measures, with CEO Evan Spiegel stating that the company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on these efforts. However, the New Mexico investigation suggests that these safeguards may be insufficient.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges tech companies face in balancing user privacy, innovation, and child safety. As social media platforms continue to evolve, the legal and ethical responsibilities of these companies remain a hotly debated topic.