New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Snap, accusing the social media giant of enabling and facilitating child sexual exploitation, sextortion, and trafficking through its popular app, Snapchat.
The state’s Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, claims that Snapchat’s design and algorithmic features actively promote illicit content involving children and provide a platform for predators to exploit minors. The lawsuit asserts that Snap fosters an environment where sexually explicit images of children are shared, and predators use the platform to groom and extort minors.
The complaint, which was filed in the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe County, comes after a months-long investigation by New Mexico’s Department of Justice.
The investigation uncovered a “vast network of dark web sites” where non-consensual sexual images from Snapchat were being shared, with more than 10,000 records connected to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) linked to the platform over the past year. According to the state, Snapchat was the primary source of these illicit materials on the dark web sites examined.
New Mexico’s Department of Justice also alleges that Snapchat’s algorithm not only fails to prevent such content but actively promotes it through recommendations. In particular, the lawsuit highlights several key concerns:
- Many accounts engaged in sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) are linked through Snapchat’s recommendation system.
- Snapchat has failed to act on publicly available “sextortion scripts,” which provide step-by-step instructions for predators to exploit minors.
- The platform’s design is accused of fostering an environment where sexually explicit images of children can be easily shared.
The state’s complaint emphasizes the company’s lack of adequate response to these issues, despite ongoing reports of abuse.
The lawsuit further accuses Snap of misleading users into believing that content shared on its platform disappears after a short time. Attorney General Torrez explained that predators are able to permanently capture and store photos and videos, creating a “virtual yearbook” of child sexual images that are bought, sold, and traded indefinitely.
The legal action against Snap follows a similar lawsuit filed by New Mexico against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, last December. Attorney General Torrez stated that Snap and Meta have prioritized profits over the safety of children, and his department is determined to hold both platforms accountable for failing to protect young users. He said in a statement: “Snap has misled users into believing that photos and videos sent on their platform will disappear, but predators can permanently capture this content… Through our litigation against Meta and Snap, the New Mexico Department of Justice will continue to hold these platforms accountable for prioritizing profits over children’s safety.”
In addition, the suit claims that Snap has made repeated false statements to the public about the safety of its platform, despite being aware of the significant risks to children.
According to the lawsuit, Snap’s internal findings reveal the company was fully aware of the rampant sextortion and sexual exploitation occurring on its app but failed to warn parents or users. It also asserts that some children who have been blackmailed on the platform have faced relentless extortion, pushing some victims to suicide after threats to expose their intimate images to their families and friends.
The suit alleges that Snap’s practices violate New Mexico’s unfair trade practices law. Snap has not yet formally responded to the lawsuit, though it did send a statement to other outlets after the initial complaint, expressing a commitment to user safety and highlighting investments in content moderation and tools for parents and guardians.
Featured Image courtesy of KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
Follow us for updates on New Mexico’s lawsuit against Snap over child exploitation claims.