Prime Utah officers are suing Snap Inc., which owns the social media platform Snapchat, and accusing it of making an algorithm addicting kids to the app, in addition to enabling the unlawful gross sales of medicine and sexual exploitation.
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and state Lawyer Common Derek Brown filed the lawsuit on Monday, saying Snap “profits from unconscionable design features created to addict children to the app, and facilitates illegal drug sales and sextortion.”
The image-sharing app permits customers to ship photos that disappear after they’re considered, which the lawsuit states is a “favored tool for drug dealers and sexual predators targeting children.”
The lawsuit particulars 4 circumstances the place males groomed, sexually abused or assaulted kids via Snapchat since 2021. It additionally lists the arrest of a drug seller operating a “truly massive” drug ring via Snapchat in 2019.
The lawsuit additionally alleges that the platform’s AI characteristic, “My AI,” which permits customers to ship textual content, photos and video to it, “comes as states confront the harsh realities of AI technology’s impact on children.” The lawsuit accuses the AI mannequin of “hallucinating false information and giving dangerous advice” to customers, together with minors.
“Tests on underage accounts have shown My AI advising a 15-year-old on how to hide the smell of alcohol and marijuana; and giving a 13-year-old account advice on setting the mood for a sexual experience with a 31-year-old,” the lawsuit states.
“This lawsuit against Snap is about accountability and about drawing a clear line: the well-being of our children must come before corporate profits,” Cox mentioned in a press release. “We received’t sit again whereas tech corporations exploit younger customers.”
The state additionally accuses Snap of deceiving customers and their mother and father concerning the security of its platform, noting it violates the Utah Client Privateness Act by not informing customers of their data-sharing practices and failing to permit customers to choose out of sharing their knowledge. It states that the AI characteristic nonetheless collects consumer geolocation knowledge even when “Ghost Mode,” which hides customers’ location from different customers, is activated.
“Snap’s commitment to user safety is an illusion,” the lawsuit reads. “Its app is not safe, it is dangerous.”
The Hill has reached out to Snap Inc. for remark.
The submitting is Utah’s fourth lawsuit filed towards social media corporations, following lawsuits towards Meta, which owns Fb and Instagram, and TikTok.
Utah just isn’t the primary state to sue the platform for its impression on kids. In April, Florida sued the platform as nicely, making comparable allegations about its hurt to kids.
