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EU Probes Snapchat for Child Safety Failures
26 Mar
Summary
- EU launched an investigation into Snapchat's safety protocols.
- Regulators cite concerns over child grooming and illegal sales.
- Snapchat faces potential fines up to 6% of global annual sales.
Snapchat is now under investigation by the European Union due to concerns that the social media platform is inadequately addressing issues of child grooming and the sale of illegal substances. The European Commission has initiated this probe under the Digital Services Act, a regulation that mandates stringent safety standards for large online platforms.
Regulators suspect that Snapchat's existing safeguards are insufficient to protect children from sexual exploitation or criminal activities. Furthermore, the platform's content moderation tools have been found ineffective in curbing the spread of advertisements for illegal products, including drugs, vapes, and alcohol.
The investigation will also encompass the Dutch regulators' previous inquiry into the sale of vapes to minors on Snapchat, which began in September. Other areas of scrutiny include Snapchat's age assurance tools, default account settings for minors, and its reporting mechanisms for harmful design patterns.
