BRUSSELS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission said on Thursday it has opened a formal investigation into Snapchat to determine whether the U.S. social media platform has breached child protection rules under the European Union's (EU) Digital Services Act.
The move follows preliminary findings by the EU executive suggesting that minors on Snapchat could be exposed to grooming attempts, recruitment for criminal purposes, and content linked to the sale of illegal goods such as drugs, as well as age-restricted products including vapes and alcohol.
The Commission said the investigation will focus on five areas, including Snapchat's age-verification measures, safeguards against grooming and criminal recruitment, default settings for minors, the spread of content linked to prohibited products, and the accessibility of tools for reporting illegal content.
According to the Commission, Snapchat relies on self-declaration for age verification, which may be inadequate to prevent children under 13 from accessing the platform and to identify users under 17 who should receive stronger protections. It also noted that a tool for reporting underage users does not appear to be available within the app.
The Commission will also examine whether Snapchat has taken sufficient steps to curb content linked to the sale of prohibited and age-restricted goods. Regulators said the platform's moderation systems may be ineffective in preventing the spread of information related to the sale of drugs, alcohol and vapes to minors.
The formal proceedings will allow the Commission to gather further evidence through requests for information, interviews and inspections, and could lead to interim measures, a non-compliance decision, or commitments from Snapchat to address the concerns, the Commission said in a press release.
The case also takes over a Dutch probe launched in September 2025 into the sale of vapes to minors on Snapchat. ■
