New Mexico accuses Snapchat of being a breeding ground for child molesters

New Mexico sued Snap, Inc. on Thursday, accusing the maker of Snapchat of facilitating the sexual exploitation of children on its platform.

The state alleges that Snapchat, known for its disappearing images and messages, has become a “breeding ground” for predators who collect sexually explicit images of children and extort them.

Snapchat has become the “primary forum” for these types of sextortion schemes because of the false sense of security created by fleeting messages and other features that connect children with child abusers, the lawsuit argues.

A months-long undercover investigation conducted by the New Mexico Department of Justice has uncovered a “large network” of dark web sites sharing non-consensual images from Snapchat, including more than 10,000 records over the past year, according to a press release.

“Our undercover investigation revealed that Snapchat’s harmful design features create an environment where child molesters can easily target children through sextortion schemes and other forms of sexual abuse,” New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement.

“Snap has misled users into believing that photos and videos posted to its platform will disappear, but predators can permanently capture this content and have created a virtual yearbook of child pornography images that are traded, sold, and stored indefinitely,” Torrez added.

The state argues that Snapchat’s attempts to distinguish itself from the dangers posed by other social media platforms are misleading.

“Snap may claim that Snapchat is different from other social media, but those claims are false and willful,” the filing reads. “Snap’s conduct is not only dangerously misleading; it is also unlawful.”

New Mexico is similarly suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging the company facilitates the sexual exploitation of children on its platforms.

The Hill has reached out to Snap for comment.