Snapchat (Snap) has deceptively marketed itself to young people, despite the monumental dangers of sexual scams (blackmail), according to New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres. The state filed a lawsuit against the platform in early September, alleging it didn’t do enough to warn users about online dangers despite employees waving red flags.
The New Mexico lawsuit claims the platform weighed the cost of addressing extensive child care and decided it wasn’t worth the administrative burden, despite warnings that the problem was becoming more common among teenagers. Internal communications show the company believed the task “shouldn’t be its responsibility,” and security staff documented that 90 percent of reports were ignored in favor of automated prompts telling users to simply “block the other person.”
The newly redacted complaint points to an internal analysis from 2022 that showed the company’s employees were making about 10,000 sex reports each month. Those numbers are most likely greatly underestimated, the company noted internally, as victims often choose not to report intimidation. Executives also said that they could not actually verify users’ ages and that user reports, as well as known perpetrators, were “falling through the cracks.”
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“We continue to evolve our security mechanisms and policies, from using advanced technology to detect and block certain activities, to banning suspicious accounts from friending, to working together with law enforcement and government agencies, among many more,” a company spokesperson said in a. comment on the file.”We know that no one person, agency or company can move this work forward alone, so we’re working collaboratively across industry, government and law enforcement to share information and devise better protections strong.”
But the company didn’t agree on how to warn users “without instilling fear in Snapchatters,” the lawsuit alleges, and its internal security measures failed to stack up. Other design features, such as Streaks and Quick Add, appear to enable abusive behavior, the state argues. Snap responded to the initial filing, saying it shared the state’s and the public’s concerns about online security.
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Almost since its inception, the social media platform has been associated with explicit messaging and NSFW content linked to the misunderstood nature of the app’s “disappearing” images — Snapchat has informed users that the content can be easily saved and shared. In recent years, the app-based sexting trend has once again grown among young users — many of whom are simultaneously turning to strangers online for comfort and advice. Both behaviors have the potential to open young people up to the risk of robbery.
The problem isn’t just with young people: Stripping schemes are getting worse in digital spaces, with online predators and scammers using the threat of exposed explicit images to demand that individuals pay up. Two recent sex-torture scams also depend on access to the victim’s personal information (though, most likely, still publicly available), such as your spouse’s name or photos of your home address, to added legitimacy to their claims.
But alarmingly, the often life-threatening phenomenon is growing among younger and younger populations—and within interpersonal relationships—as AI-generating tools become more accessible. Experts have called for vigilance and preparedness as caregivers warn their children of online dangers, including sex-based and technology-based threats.
Across the country, state leaders and school districts continue to pursue legal action against social media platforms they claim are putting young people at risk, failing to warn caregivers and endangering the mental well-being of generations.
“It is disheartening to see that Snap employees have raised many red flags that have continued to be ignored by management,” Attorney General Torrez wrote. “What’s even more disturbing is that the unredacted information shows that the addictive features of Snapchat were openly acknowledged and encouraged to stay active on the platform.”