The European Commission is opening a formal investigation into Snapchat under the Digital Services Act, according to the Commission. The investigation concerns whether Snapchat is doing enough to protect children from risks such as increased vulnerability to child predators or recruitment by criminals, the European Commission stated. Snapchat appears to have overlooked the DSA's high safety standards for all users, the Commission noted.
Specific allegations center on Snapchat's age verification and content moderation systems. Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 to use the platform, multiple reports indicate. However, the European Commission suspects Snapchat's age assurance system is insufficient at keeping underage users off the platform, the Commission said. Additionally, Snapchat's systems aren't good enough at preventing underage users from seeing information about illegal or restricted products like drugs, vapes, or alcohol, according to the European Commission.
Snapchat has fully cooperated with the Commission by engaging proactively, transparently, and working in good faith to meet the DSA's high safety standards - and we will continue to do so throughout this investigation.
In response, Snapchat emphasized cooperation and existing safety measures. A company spokesperson stated that Snapchat has fully cooperated with the Commission by engaging proactively, transparently, and working in good faith to meet the DSA's high safety standards, and will continue to do so throughout this investigation. The spokesperson also noted that user safety and well-being is a top priority for Snapchat, and the platform is designed with privacy and safety built in from the start, including additional protection for teens.
This probe adds to broader regulatory pressure on social media companies regarding youth welfare on both sides of the Atlantic, multiple reports indicate. On Wednesday, a California jury awarded millions of dollars in damages to a 20-year-old woman after deciding that Meta and YouTube designed their platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being, multiple reports indicate. A day earlier, a New Mexico jury handed a $375 million penalty to Meta after determining the company knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms, sources said.
User safety and well-being is a top priority and the platform is designed with privacy and safety built in from the start, including additional protection for teens.
The EU's expanding DSA enforcement includes actions against other tech platforms. The EU accused TikTok earlier this year of breaching the DSA with addictive design features that lead to compulsive use by children, according to multiple reports. Additionally, the EU has been investigating Facebook and Instagram since 2024 over child protection shortcomings, sources said.
Parallel action was taken against adult websites for similar child protection failures. Also on Thursday, Brussels accused four of the world's biggest pornographic websites, Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, of failing to protect children from adult content on their websites, multiple reports indicate.
Key unknowns persist about the investigation's details and potential outcomes. It is unclear what specific evidence the European Commission has that Snapchat's age assurance system is insufficient, and the potential penalties or fines Snapchat could face if found in violation of the Digital Services Act have not been specified. The investigation's timeline before a conclusion is reached remains unknown.