Snapchat in Europe's crosshairs: are minors sufficiently protected?

After TikTok, X and Méta, it's now Snapchat which is the subject of an investigation by the European Commission. At issue: insufficient protection for minors against illegal content, These include the sale of dangerous products, the exposure of minors to recruitment for criminal activities, grooming and reporting systems that are deemed inadequate.

This finding raises questions when you consider that the application is very popular with teenagers, with Snapchat accounting for almost 97 million monthly active users in Europe by the end of 2025.

Snapchat faces up to its responsibilities: the protection of minors in question

Illegal content and practices accessible to young people

According to initial observations, Snapchat could make it easier for minors to be exposed to problematic and/or illegal content These include the sale of drugs via anonymous stories, access to alcohol or electronic cigarettes, and attempts to recruit people for illegal activities.

Once again, these practices raise the question of the responsibility of platforms in protecting the very young.

Grooming: a very real danger

In addition to this content, there is another risk that is of particular concern: that of grooming.

As explained by Justine Atlan, General Manager of the e-Enfance Association / 3018 :

“Major players who will try to get in touch with a minor to obtain potentially sexual relationship. Or he extort of sexual content, and the practices that will be required of it. There may be paedocriminality.”

On Snapchat, the first contact is often just a point of entry Once trust has been established, some predators will seek to move the conversation to private messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram, where exchanges are more difficult to detect and moderate.

Insufficient age verification

Officially, Snapchat is forbidden to under 13s like all social networks. But in reality, registration is based solely on a simple declaration date of birth. As a result, many children have easy access to it.

In France, according to Arcom, almost 46 % of under-13s use Snapchat at least once a month.

Greater responsibility expected

This survey fully illustrates the implementation of the Digital Services Act, which strengthens the obligations of very large platforms in terms of prevention and reduction of systemic risks, particularly for minors.

The e-Enfance / 3018 Association welcomes an important step towards a more effective European regulation.

The protection of minors online rests on three essential pillars: the responsibility of platforms, the practical application of European law and one closer cooperation between public, voluntary and digital players.

The best interests of the child must now be a primary consideration. structuring principle, This is true both in public policy and in the design of digital services.

🔎 Also read: Two years after it came into force, where does the DSA stand in terms of protecting minors online?