A recently unsealed lawsuit filed by the attorney general of New Mexico has revealed disturbing details about Snap Inc.’s alleged negligence regarding the safety of minors on its platform. According to the lawsuit, Snap employees were aware of significant issues involving sextortion and predatory behavior, with internal discussions in November 2022 citing around 10,000 monthly user reports related to sextortion. However, this figure was believed to represent only a small portion of the actual incidents occurring on the platform.
The lawsuit highlights that Snap failed to take appropriate action despite being aware of incidents involving minors. In one troubling case, an account with 75 reports related to nudity, minors, and extortion allegedly remained active on the platform. Internal research from 2022 indicated that more than one-third of teenage girls and 30% of teenage boys using Snapchat reported experiencing unwanted contact. Despite this alarming data, Snap reportedly resisted implementing stronger safety measures, with employees suggesting that CEO Evan Spiegel prioritized design aesthetics over user safety.
Snap’s defense claims the company has enacted various safety protocols, including advanced technologies to detect inappropriate behavior and preventing suspicious accounts from connecting with minors. Nevertheless, the lawsuit points to a culture of complacency, noting that a 2021 internal report indicated that predators were using Snapchat to contact children as young as eight. Employees exhibited reluctance to introduce more stringent safety measures, fearing potential impacts on user privacy and administrative costs.
Additionally, the lawsuit reveals Snap’s awareness of illegal gun sales occurring on its platform, tracking approximately 50 posts related to firearms daily, which were viewed by around 9,000 users. Alarmingly, these posts often remained accessible for hundreds of views before any action was taken. The lawsuit paints a troubling picture of Snap’s commitment to user safety and the protection of vulnerable minors on its platform.
