The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into Snapchat's child safety protections, citing concerns that the social media platform may be exposing minors to grooming and criminal recruitment. According to the Commission, the investigation will determine whether Snapchat has breached EU digital safety laws under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen stated that Snapchat appears to have overlooked that the DSA demands high safety standards for all users. The Commission suspects the platform might allow adults to masquerade as young users to contact children for illegal activities or sexual exploitation.
Snapchat appears to have overlooked that the DSA demands high safety standards for all users.
The investigation will focus on five key areas: age verification systems, grooming and recruitment of minors for criminal activities, default account settings that may undermine safety, dissemination of information about banned products, and reporting mechanisms for illegal content. The Commission noted that Snapchat's reliance on users self-disclosing whether they are over 13 is insufficient to keep children from accessing the platform.
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) had previously investigated the sale of vape products on Snapchat in September, and this probe will be incorporated into the broader European Commission investigation. The Commission also expressed concerns about "dark patterns" in Snapchat's design and inadequate content moderation that fails to limit videos with information on obtaining illegal products like drugs, vapes, and alcohol.
Approximately 94.5 million Europeans had a Snapchat account in 2025, according to the company's transparency report. The investigation marks the start of formal proceedings that could lead to further enforcement actions if violations are confirmed.