Snap Inc. Challenges New Mexico Lawsuit, Accuses Attorney General of Misconduct
Snap Inc. is contesting allegations from New Mexico’s attorney general, claiming that the state is deliberately misrepresenting its Snapchat platform as unsafe for users, particularly minors. The company filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which asserts that its app facilitates the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and poses risks to children.
In documents shared with The Verge, Snap alleged that investigators created a decoy account, purportedly belonging to a 14-year-old girl, and used it to connect with adult users seeking explicit content. The company rebutted, stating these allegations are "patently false," emphasizing that the decoy account was the initiator in seeking connections rather than victimized.
Snap accused the attorney general’s office of "mischaracterizing" its internal policies related to the storage and reporting of CSAM, clarifying that it is legally prohibited from storing such materials and routinely reports them to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In response, New Mexico’s director of communications, Lauren Rodriguez, criticized Snap for focusing on "minor details" to divert attention from crucial issues. She claimed that the platform prioritizes profits over user safety and fails to implement necessary changes to safeguard children.
The New Mexico Department of Justice concluded from its investigation that Snapchat’s features inadvertently contribute to the sharing of CSAM and facilitate child exploitation. It reported identifying a significant dark web network linked to Snapchat, labeling the app a "breeding ground for predators." The attorney general’s lawsuit highlighted the dire situation of 10,000 sextortion cases occurring monthly on the platform, suggesting a lack of transparency from Snap regarding these threats.
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