New Mexico's attorney general files a suit saying Snapchat allows child sexual extortion

AP Technology Writer (AP) — New Mexico's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against the company behind Snapchat, alleging that site's design and policies foster the sharing of child sexual abuse material and facilitate child sexual exploitation.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the lawsuit against Snap Inc. Thursday in state court in Santa Fe. In addition to sexual abuse, the lawsuit claims the company also openly promotes child trafficking, drugs and guns.

Last December, Torrez filed a similar lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, saying it allows predators to trade child sexual abuse material and solicit minors for sex on its platforms. That suit is still pending.

Snap's “harmful design features create an environment where predators can easily target children through sextortion schemes and other forms of sexual abuse,” Torrez said in a statement. Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading a person to send explicit photos online and then threatening to make the images public unless the victim pays money or engages in sexual favors.