Snapchat is under severe scrutiny for not sufficiently alerting its users about widespread “sextortion schemes” targeting minors, as unveiled by an unveiled lawsuit. Despite internal discussions on how to tackle this issue without inducing panic, the company’s efforts—or lack thereof—have sparked controversy. These details emerged from a legal action initiated by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, accusing the popular photo-sharing app of becoming a fertile ground for online predators exploiting children by soliciting sexual images for blackmail.
A staggering revelation from an internal email mentioned in the lawsuit indicates Snap receives about 10,000 user reports of sextortion every month, highlighting this as a highly alarming situation. An employee pointed out the real extent of abuse might be even more significant, given the embarrassment associated with reporting such incidents.
The lawsuit criticizes Snap for ignoring red flags raised by employees about these abusive patterns. Moreover, an internal marketing brief from the company acknowledged the gravity of sexting behaviors among users, emphasizing the need to inform without instilling fear. It admits the impracticality of outright discouraging the sharing of nudes while also steering clear from providing safety tips that could inherently normalize such behavior.
In response, Snap asserts the app’s design incorporates safety measures to protect minors and continually updates its safety protocols by working closely with law enforcement and governmental bodies. The company stresses its commitment to user safety amidst criticisms of not doing enough to safeguard children online.
Furthermore, the lawsuit touches on the platform’s challenges with verifying user ages, hinting at an inherent flaw that minors can easily bypass by entering a false birthdate. Amid these concerns, emails between employees reveal frustration over handling reports related to grooming and sextortion, with one employee expressing dismay over the app being “over-run by this sextortion s—” due to inaction over the year.
This lawsuit follows another legal action by the New Mexico attorney general against Meta for similar failures in protecting minors, spotlighting a growing concern over the safety of children on social media platforms.
#Snapchat #Sextortion #OnlineSafety #UnderageProtection #LegalAction #NewMexico #SocialMediaSafety
