Snapchat neglected sexual abuse, child custody claims, New Mexico lawsuit claims

Snapchat (Snap) has been deceptively marketing itself to young people despite the high risks of sex scams (sexual exploitation), according to New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres. The state filed a lawsuit against the platform in early September, alleging that it didn’t do enough to warn users about online dangers despite employees waving red flags.

The New Mexico lawsuit says the court weighed the costs of dealing with widespread child molestation and decided it wasn’t worth the administrative burden, despite warnings that the problem was becoming more common among young people. Internal communications indicate that the company believes this task “should not be its responsibility,” and security staff wrote that 90 percent of reports are ignored in favor of automated prompts that tell users to “block someone else.”

The newly redacted complaint points to an internal analysis from 2022 that showed the company’s employees were submitting nearly 10,000 reports of sextortion each month. Those numbers are likely greatly underestimated, the company noted internally, as victims often choose not to report threats. Administrators also said they were unable to verify users’ ages, and that user reports, along with known perpetrators, “fall through the cracks.”

“We continue to evolve our security measures and policies, from using advanced technology to detect and block certain activities, to prevent friending of suspicious accounts, to work closely with law enforcement and government agencies, among many others,” said a company spokesperson. comment on filing.”We know that no one person, agency, or company can move this project forward alone, which is why we’re working together across industry, government, and law enforcement to share information and consider strong defenses.”

But the company didn’t agree on how to warn users “without fear of Snapchatters,” the suit says, and its internal security measures failed to stack up. Some design features, such as Streaks and Quick Add, appear to allow 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.

Almost since its inception, the social network was first associated with explicit messages and NSFW content, reflected in the misunderstood phenomenon of the app’s “disappearing” images – Snapchat informed users that content can be saved and shared. In recent years, the app-based “sexting” trend has also risen among younger users – many of whom turn to online strangers for comfort and advice. Both behaviors have the potential to expose young people to the risk of rape.

The problem isn’t just for the little ones: Sextortion schemes are becoming increasingly common in digital spaces, with online attackers and fraudsters using the threat of graphic images to demand payment from individuals. Two recent sextortion-based scams also rely on accessing personal data (although, presumably, still publicly available), such as your spouse’s name or photos of your home address, to add validity to their claims.

But, alarmingly, what is often life-threatening is growing among the young and the young — and within interpersonal relationships — as productive AI tools become more accessible. Experts have urged vigilance and preparedness as caregivers warn their children of online dangers, including sex-based and technology-based threats.

Nationally, state and school district leaders continue to take legal action against social media they say puts young people at risk, fails to warn caregivers, and endangers the mental well-being of generations.

“It is disappointing to see Snap employees raising so many red flags that officials continue to ignore,” attorney general Torrez wrote. “What’s even more disturbing is that the unaltered information shows that addictive features on Snapchat were openly approved and encouraged to remain active on the platform.”