New Mexico Accuses Snapchat Of Prioritizing Profits Over Child Safety In Sextortion Lawsuit

According to New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres, Snapchat has been misleadingly marketing itself to young users, despite significant risks of sextortion.

In early September, the state filed a lawsuit against the platform, accusing it of failing to adequately warn users about online dangers, despite internal warnings from employees.

The lawsuit alleges that Snapchat evaluated the cost of addressing widespread child grooming. The company ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the administrative effort.

Internal communications reveal that Snapchat believed the issue "should not be its responsibility".

Safety staff documented that 90 percent of reports were ignored, with users being advised through automated messages to simply "block the other person".