Current:Home > Contact-usDetails from New Mexico’s lawsuit against Snap show site failed to act on reports of sextortion-InfoLens
Details from New Mexico’s lawsuit against Snap show site failed to act on reports of sextortion
View Date:2024-12-23 15:11:00
Snapchat failed to act on “rampant” reports of child grooming, sextortion and other dangers to minors on its platform, according to a newly unredacted complaint against the company filed by New Mexico’s attorney general.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the original complaint on Sept. 4, but internal messages and other details were heavily redacted. Tuesday’s filing unveils internal messages among Snap Inc. employees and executives that provide “further confirmation that Snapchat’s harmful design features create an environment that fosters sextortion, sexual abuse and unwanted contact from adults to minors,” Torrez said in a news release.
For instance, former trust and safety employees complained there was “pushback” from management when they tried to add safety mechanisms, according to the lawsuit. Employees also noted that user reports on grooming and sextortion — persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors — were falling through the cracks. At one point, an account remained active despite 75 reports against it over mentions of “nudes, minors and extortion.”
Snap said in a statement that its platform was designed “with built-in safety guardrails” and that the company made “deliberate design choices to make it difficult for strangers to discover minors on our service.”
“We continue to evolve our safety mechanisms and policies, from leveraging advanced technology to detect and block certain activity, to prohibiting friending from suspicious accounts, to working alongside law enforcement and government agencies, among so much more,” the company said.
According to the lawsuit, Snap was well aware, but failed to warn parents, young users and the public that “sextortion was a rampant, ‘massive,’ and ‘incredibly concerning issue’ on Snapchat.”
A November 2022 internal email from a trust and safety employee says Snapchat was getting “around 10,000” user reports of sextortion each month.
“If this is correct, we have an incredibly concerning issue on our hands, in my humble opinion,” the email continues.
Another employee replied that it’s worth noting that the number likely represents a “small fraction of this abuse,” since users may be embarrassed and because sextortion is “not easy to categorize” when trying to report it on the site.
Torrez filed the lawsuit against Santa Monica, California-based Snap Inc. in state court in Santa Fe. In addition to sexual abuse, the lawsuit claims the company also openly promotes child trafficking and the sale of illicit drugs and guns.
veryGood! (364)
Related
- Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
- Kentucky pulls off upset at No. 5 Mississippi with help from gambles by Mark Stoops
- Heisman watch: Who are the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy after Week 5?
- Frances Bean, Kurt Cobain's daughter, welcomes first child with Riley Hawk
- How many dog breeds are there? A guide to groups recognized in the US
- Kris Kristofferson, legendary singer-songwriter turned Hollywood leading man, dies at 88
- Biden says he hopes to visit Helene-impacted areas this week if it doesn’t impact emergency response
- A brush fire prompts evacuations in the Gila River Indian Community southwest of Phoenix
- It's Red Cup Day at Starbucks: Here's how to get your holiday cup and cash in on deals
- Why Oscar hopeful 'Nickel Boys' is 'nothing like' any film you've ever seen
Ranking
- Statue of the late US Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, is unveiled in his native Alabama
- Raheem Morris downplays Kyle Pitts' zero-catch game: 'Stats are for losers'
- Ohio family says they plan to sue nursing home after matriarch's death ruled a homicide
- MLB playoff scenarios: NL wild card race coming down to the wire
- Sports are a must-have for many girls who grow up to be leaders
- Yankees' Anthony Rizzo fractures fingers in season's penultimate game
- How often should you wash your dog? Bathe that smelly pup with these tips.
- Former child star Maisy Stella returns to her 'true love' with 'My Old Ass'
Recommendation
-
Ben Foster Files for Divorce From Laura Prepon After 6 Years of Marriage
-
Over 90,000 Georgia residents sheltering a day after chemical plant fire sends chlorine into the air
-
Powerball winning numbers for September 28: Jackpot at $258 million
-
Nebraska law enforcement investigating after fatal Omaha police shooting
-
IAT Community Introduce
-
US retailers brace for potential pain from a longshoremen’s strike
-
Frances Bean, Kurt Cobain's daughter, welcomes first child with Riley Hawk
-
Georgia power outage map: Thousands still without power days after Helene