October 2, 2024 – A newly-released unredacted complaint against Snapchat is giving insight on children who use the platform, and if they are safe.
“This is an inherently unsafe product, and the company is liable for the harm that they have caused not only to the citizens of this state, but all the users of these platforms around the world,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.
Internal messages are now showing employees may have been sounding the alarm about certain features.
Back in 2022, one executive said, “I don’t think we can say we actually verify users’ age. The app doesn’t use an age verification system.”
The unsealed complaint says by November 2022 “Snap employees were discussing 10,000 user reports of sextortion each month.”
“What is revealed in the court documents is a keen awareness of just how much they are failing to keep people safe and how much they recognize the dangers associated with allowing access to weapons and drugs, but also creating an avenue for predators to identify, groom and target children,” said Torrez.
The New Mexico Department of Justice claims the social media platform has a record of turning a blind eye to sextortion and verifying ages of users on the app.
Torrez says this lawsuit confirms their fear that they were not looking out for children.
“You read the communication from these executives, they understand implicitly how easy it is for someone to set up a fake account, to lie about their age. They are well aware that underage users are on the platform despite what public statements are being made,” said Torrez.
Much like the Meta lawsuit, it also points out the algorithm.
Torrez says the social media company admitted to features that connect children to adults, and the dangers of children sending explicit photos.
“One of the things that are also concerning is the narrative that has been created around Snap that it is somehow different or safer or unique in a social media landscape, because when people upload content there is this idea that it is going to disappear,” said Torrez.
Torrez hopes this lawsuit will prompt Snapchat to change some of their design features.
By Feliz Romero, KOB
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