This newest lawsuit follows a similar one by the state against the company Meta and comes in the context of increasing pressure from governments across the country against big tech platforms to better protect children online.

Among many demands, the state’s complaint sought a jury trial, a judgment found in their favor, civil penalties, and the ordering of a permanent injunction against Snap and its employees from engaging in “unfair, unconscionable, or deceptive practices in violation of New Mexico law.”

“Snap and Snapchat… are among the most pernicious purveyors of child sexual abuse material (‘CSAM’) and harm-inducing features on children’s electronic devices,” said the lawsuit.

“Snap’s design and algorithmic recommendations openly foster and promote illicit sexual material involving children and facilitate sextortion and the trafficking of children, drugs, and guns,” the lawsuit said.

“Snap repeatedly made statements to the public regarding the safety and design of its platforms that it knew were untrue, or that were readily contradicted by its own internal findings,” said the lawsuit.

“Snap was specifically aware, but failed to warn children and parents, of ‘rampant’ and ‘massive’ sextortion on its platform — a problem so grave that it drives children facing merciless and relentless blackmail demands or disclosure of intimate images to their families and friends to suicide,” the suit says.

The state also found 10,000 records of CSAM material related to the app on other websites, asserting Snapchat was “by far the largest source of images and videos among the dark web sites investigated.”

“Snap Inc. (“Snap”) seeks to distance itself from aspects of social media that have been linked to increases in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among youth,” the lawsuit said.

“Snap has misled users into believing that photos and videos sent on their platform will disappear, but predators can permanently capture this content they have created a virtual yearbook of child sexual images that are traded, sold, and stored indefinitely,” New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said.

“Through our litigation against Meta and Snap, the New Mexico Department of Justice will continue to hold these platforms accountable for prioritizing profits over children’s safety,” Torrez said.

“Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex,” said Torrez in a press release. “As a career prosecutor who specialized in internet crimes against children, I am committed to using every available tool to put an end to these horrific practices and I will hold companies — and their executives — accountable whenever they put profits ahead of children’s safety.”

This spokesperson emphasized that Snap has invested hundreds of millions into its trust and safety teams and has worked in cooperation with law enforcement and online safety experts to better maintain its platform’s safety.