EU Probes Snapchat Over Child Safety Failings

European Union regulators launched a formal investigation into Snapchat on Thursday, accusing the social media platform of failing to adequately protect minors from risks including sexual exploitation, criminal recruitment and exposure to illegal products.

The probe, initiated by the European Commission under the bloc's Digital Services Act, targets concerns over Snapchat's safeguards for users under 18. Officials suspect the platform's age assurance system is insufficient to prevent children younger than 13 from creating accounts, relying primarily on self-declaration rather than robust verification. For users aged 13 to 17, the system allegedly fails to properly identify their age, leading to exposure to adult-oriented content and experiences. Regulators also worry that adults can easily pose as minors, enabling them to contact children for grooming or to recruit them into criminal activities.

The investigation further examines Snapchat's content moderation tools, which authorities say are ineffective at blocking the spread of information promoting the sale of illegal or age-restricted items such as drugs, vapes and alcohol. Additional scrutiny will focus on default account...