Commission investigates Snapchat’s compliance with child protection rules under the Digital …

Credit:Unsplash) This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to investigate if Snapchat is ensuring a high level of safety, privacy and security for children online, in compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). Snapchat may have breached the DSA by exposing minors to grooming attempts and recruitment for criminal purposes, as well as to information about the sale of illegal goods, like drugs, or age-restricted products, such as vapes and alcohol. The investigation will focus on five areas. Age assurance According to Snapchat’s own Terms and conditions, users must be at least 13 years old to use the platform. The Commission suspects that Snapchat’s reliance on self-declaration as an age assurance measure is insufficient. It neither prevents children under the age of 13 from accessing the service, nor adequately assesses whether users are younger than 17 years old, which is necessary to ensure an age-appropriate experience. Moreover, the Commission suspects that the tool for users to report to Snapchat the presence of minors under the age of 13 on its service is not available to users on the app. Grooming and recruitment of minors for criminal activities The Commission suspects that Snapchat
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