Le Figaro

Sollicitations sexuelles, trafics... La Commission europenne ouvre une enqute sur Snapchat, souponn de mettre en danger les mineurs

Guardian

Brussels opens investigation into Snapchat amid concern over children’s safety

The New York Times

Snapchat Europe Child Safety.Html

European Commission

Border Telegraph

EU regulators investigate Snapchat for failing to protect children

Engadget

The EU is investigating Snapchat over possible child protection breaches

The Wall Street Journal

Eu Warns Porn Sites Over Access By Minors Probes Snapchat D6De5924

Substack

From Child Safety to Chat Surveillance

EU Risks Child Safety as Detection Laws Expire on 3 April

Anthony Albanese

9News Australia

Terry Flew

Australian Human Rights Commission

Aaron Mackey

Joanne Orlando

Melissa McIntosh

Damini Satija

Julie Inman Grant

Timothy Koskie

"They took the easy option, and it will fail."

“New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.”

“Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

"Some verification methods are often inaccurate while others are easily circumvented.”

"Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban."

"This law will also push many users toward platforms that are more personal and private, like Telegram channels, WhatsApp Communities, and Signal Groups, which are not currently banned because they are important tools for encrypted and direct communication."

David Inserra

“Ultimately, reducing online harm would be a great outcome; however, we know from evidence that ‘banning’ anything from young people won’t work on its own.”

Louise La Sala

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected.”

"I think it will help a lot of parents because it's not them saying no, it's an actual law."

Cassie Xintavelonis

“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard.”

"Just as the banning of phones in school classrooms by many state governments hasn't on day one led to perfect compliance, now it's just accepted that there are improved educational outcomes, improved behaviour, improved social outcomes as a result."

"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach.”

Will Australia's Under 16 Social Media Ban be Effective?

The European Commission opened a formal investigation into Snapchat on Thursday under the Digital Services Act (DSA), suspecting the platform — which has around 94.7 million monthly users across the EU — of failing to adequately protect minors from grooming and recruitment for criminal purposes.

The European Commission opened a formal investigation into Snapchat on Thursday under the Digital Services Act (DSA), suspecting the platform — which has around 94.7 million monthly users across the EU — of failing to adequately protect minors from grooming and recruitment for criminal purposes.

EU regulators suspect Snapchat's self-declaration age assurance system is "insufficient" at preventing children under 13 from accessing the service and adequately determining whether users are under 17 to ensure an age-appropriate experience.

EU regulators suspect Snapchat's self-declaration age assurance system is "insufficient" at preventing children under 13 from accessing the service and adequately determining whether users are under 17 to ensure an age-appropriate experience.

The Commission also suspects Snapchat's default settings expose minors to risk due to features such as teens being "automatically recommended to other users via the Find Friends feature," and push notifications being enabled by default.

The Commission also suspects Snapchat's default settings expose minors to risk due to features such as teens being "automatically recommended to other users via the Find Friends feature," and push notifications being enabled by default.

Snapchat said it has "fully cooperated" with the Commission, engaging "proactively, transparently and working in good faith" to meet DSA standards, and that privacy and safety are "built in from the start — including additional protections for teens."

Snapchat said it has "fully cooperated" with the Commission, engaging "proactively, transparently and working in good faith" to meet DSA standards, and that privacy and safety are "built in from the start — including additional protections for teens."

Separately, the Commission issued preliminary findings against four adult websites — Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos — for allowing minors to access content via a simple self-declaration click, with potential fines of up to 6% of annual revenue.

Separately, the Commission issued preliminary findings against four adult websites — Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos — for allowing minors to access content via a simple self-declaration click, with potential fines of up to 6% of annual revenue.

The EU investigation into Snapchat followed a California jury ruling that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/meta-youtube-lose-first-social-media-addiction-trial">Meta and YouTube had harmed a young user</a> through addictive design features, and a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/meta-hit-with-m-fine-over-child-safety-failures">New Mexico jury finding Meta liable</a> for failing to protect users from child predators.

The EU investigation into Snapchat followed a California jury ruling that Meta and YouTube had harmed a young user through addictive design features, and a New Mexico jury finding Meta liable for failing to protect users from child predators.

Simply put, Snapchat is failing kids. The platform lets children under 13 sign up with a single self-declaration, automatically recommends teens to strangers and keeps push notifications on by default, creating a playground for groomers and drug dealers. The EU's Digital Services Act exists precisely for this moment, and enforcement isn't overreach — it's the bare minimum owed to every child online.

Simply put, Snapchat is failing kids. The platform lets children under 13 sign up with a single self-declaration, automatically recommends teens to strangers and keeps push notifications on by default, creating a playground for groomers and drug dealers. The EU's Digital Services Act exists precisely for this moment, and enforcement isn't overreach — it's the bare minimum owed to every child online.

Pro-establishment narrative

The EU is hiding where regulatory machinery is actually headed. Its investigations and legislation are aimed at forcing client-side scanning of encrypted messages. The EU's own legal service calls it general and indiscriminate surveillance — and once that infrastructure exists, mission creep is inevitable. Real child protection means targeted policing and funded enforcement, not suspicionless scans of everyone's private life.

The EU is hiding where regulatory machinery is actually headed. Its investigations and legislation are aimed at forcing client-side scanning of encrypted messages. The EU's own legal service calls it general and indiscriminate surveillance — and once that infrastructure exists, mission creep is inevitable. Real child protection means targeted policing and funded enforcement, not suspicionless scans of everyone's private life.

Thomas's Opinion Blog Substack

Establishment-critical narrative

There's a 30% chance that the EU will require mandatory age verification on social media or AI before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 30% chance that the EU will require mandatory age verification on social media or AI before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

EU Probes Snapchat Over Alleged Child Safety Failures

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Establishment-critical narrative

Metaculus Prediction

The Controversies

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

Xintavelonis

Grant

Albanese

Albanese

Koskie

Go Deeper

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EU Probes Snapchat Over Alleged Child Safety Failures

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Establishment-critical narrative

Metaculus Prediction

The Controversies

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

Xintavelonis

Grant

Albanese

Albanese

Koskie

Go Deeper

Articles on this story

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