“Snapchat’s Dark Secret: How Your Child’s Photos Could End Up in a Predator’s Virtual Yearbook”

By Familyguide Contributor

Snapchat finds itself embroiled in controversy once more due to alleged questionable practices.

The widely-used application is now facing accusations from New Mexico state officials of exploiting minors sexually.

According to a CBS News report, “A covert investigation conducted by the state revealed that Snapchat has fostered ‘an atmosphere where predators can readily target children through sextortion schemes and other forms of sexual abuse,’ as stated by Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a press release.”

Torrez further elaborated, “Snap has deceived users into believing that photos and videos sent on their platform will vanish, but predators can permanently capture this content, creating a virtual archive of child sexual images that are traded, sold, and stored indefinitely.”

The legal action alleges that certain Snapchat features enable predators to access children. The lawsuit states, “Snap’s features, including its algorithms that analyze users’ consumption patterns to suggest content and other users aligned with their interests, function to connect children with adult predators and drug dealers, and deliver a stream of sexualized, drug-related, or other dangerous content to children, predators, and others.”

The legal document goes on to assert that Snapchat failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect its users.

Notably, the lawsuit mentions the rape of an 11-year-old girl who was targeted by a predator through Snapchat.

This is not the first time Snapchat has faced scrutiny for its inability to protect minors. Familyguide previously reported:

Yolo, a third-party app, can face legal action for failing to protect users from bullying.

The app, which was used in conjunction with Snapchat to allow anonymous messaging, “pledged to identify and ban users who engaged in bullying or harassment but allegedly failed to do so,” Justia reported…

Previously, the app had been sued and removed from app stores following the suicide of Carson Bride, a 16-year-old who had been bullied on the platform.

A Snap spokesperson stated, “We have been working diligently to identify, remove and report bad actors, educate our community and provide teens, as well as parents and guardians, with tools to help ensure their safety online.”