Parents of a 12-year-old girl filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc. in Missouri state court. The complaint alleges that Snapchat features, including friend recommendations and Snap Maps location-sharing, enabled a predator to find and groom the minor. The adult assailant subsequently sexually assaulted the girl.
The lawsuit claims Snap failed to implement adequate safeguards or warn parents despite knowing the platform's risks to minors. The assailant reportedly used multiple accounts to lure teenagers, violating Snapchat’s internal policies.
Snap faces several other pending lawsuits regarding the safety of minors on its platform. The girl's attacker pleaded guilty to statutory rape and is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence.