European Commission opens investigation into Snapchat’s child safety protections

The European Commission has opened a formal Digital Services Act probe into Snapchat over child-safety concerns.

Regulators will examine whether minors were exposed to grooming, criminal recruitment, illegal product sales, and other risks.

The review will focus on age assurance, default account settings, reporting tools, content moderation, and possible dark patterns.

The case builds on earlier information requests and a related Dutch inquiry into vape sales via the platform.

If Snapchat is found non-compliant, it could be forced to tighten protections and face penalties under EU rules.