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EU Opens DSA Child-Safety Investigation Into Snapchat

· Original article ↗

Summary

The European Commission is investigating whether Snapchat’s age checks, default settings, moderation and reporting tools adequately protect minors. The probe could lead to remedial measures, commitments or fines.

Key points

  • The European Commission opened a formal Digital Services Act investigation into Snapchat’s protections for minors.
  • The Commission questions whether self-declared ages can keep underage users off the service and whether reporting underage users is accessible.
  • Investigators are examining default settings, including Find Friends recommendations and enabled push notifications, for privacy and safety risks.
  • The probe also covers risks involving grooming, criminal recruitment, illegal content and reporting or complaint mechanisms.
  • The Commission can request information, conduct inspections, impose interim measures or issue a non-compliance decision; fines could reach 6% of global annual turnover.
  • Separately, the Commission has taken preliminary action concerning age verification and child protection at Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos.

Article Details

Event Type
The European Commission opened a formal Digital Services Act child-protection investigation into Snapchat.
Impact
The investigation examines Snapchat’s age assurance, default privacy and safety settings, content moderation, and reporting mechanisms. The Commission suspects these measures may be inadequate; no violation has been confirmed. Possible outcomes include remedial measures, commitments, interim measures, or fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.

People

Henna VirkkunenThe European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, who publicly described the concerns underlying the Snapchat investigation and the Commission’s intent to examine compliance.

Products

PornhubThe Commission can request information, conduct inspections, accept commitments, or issue non-compliance decisions and fines; similar scrutiny applies to adult sites such as Pornhub.SnapchatThe European Commission has opened a formal DSA child protection investigation into Snapchat to assess whether its age-assurance, default settings, content moderation, and reporting tools adequately protect minors.StripchatIn a related development, the European Commission has also taken preliminary action against adult content platforms including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos under the Digital Services Act.XNXXIn a related development, the European Commission has also taken preliminary action against adult content platforms including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos under the Digital Services Act.XVideosIn a related development, the European Commission has also taken preliminary action against adult content platforms including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos under the Digital Services Act.