EU Launches Inquiry Into Snapchat’s Child Safety Measures
The European Commission initiated a formal investigation into Snapchat on Thursday, scrutinizing whether the social media giant has violated child protection regulations under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The EU regulators are focusing their investigation on five primary areas:
- Snapchat’s age verification system’s effectiveness in barring users under 13 from accessing the platform.
- Preventive measures against grooming and criminal recruitment of minors.
- Default privacy settings for young users.
- The dissemination of content associated with illegal products such as drugs and age-restricted items like vapes and alcohol.
- The accessibility of tools for reporting illegal content.
The Commission harbors suspicions that Snapchat’s existing “age assurance” system, which is based on self-declaration, is inadequate and might enable adults to impersonate minors to interact with children. With a user base of approximately 94.5 million European users as of 2025, Snapchat holds a significant appeal among teenagers and young adults.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen expressed that Snapchat “appears to have overlooked that the Digital Services Act demands high safety standards for all users.” If violations are substantiated, Snapchat could be liable for fines amounting to 6% of its global annual revenue. Snap Inc. retorted by emphasizing that user safety is a “top priority” and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.