European Commission launches probe into Snapchat's child protection measures

The question

How is the European Commission ensuring minors safely access social media and technology?

The key takeaway

The European Commission is investigating Snapchat to assess its compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA) in relation to child safety. This follows an initial investigation by the Dutch Digital Service Coordinator (designated as the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets). If the European Commission finds Snapchat to be in in breach of its regulatory requirements, Snapchat faces a potential fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.

The background

The DSA was introduced with the overarching purpose of creating a safer environment for users of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs). In particular, the DSA empowers the European Commission to investigate the behaviour of VLOPs and VLOSEs.

The European Commission launched a formal investigation into Snapchat on 26 March 2026. The decision to commence proceedings against Snapchat follows a series of DSA investigations against VLOPs and VLOSEs in recent months, indicating a marked change in the online regulatory landscape, and highlighting the European Commission's commitment to enforce the DSA's protective measures.

The development

The DSA imposes obligations on VLOPs and VLOSEs to mitigate systemic risk which includes incorporating content moderation tools to curtail the spread of information relating to the sale of illegal products. Further, VLOPs and VLOSEs are required to integrate robust methods of age verification under both the DSA and the 2025 DSA Guidelines on the Protection of Minors as a Benchmark.

Snapchat currently requires users to input their age when creating their accounts. Users' accounts are automatically public, with children and teens automatically recommended to other users. This lack of oversight creates the potential for adults to misrepresent themselves as minors and vice versa.

Whilst the European Commission has formed preliminary views on Snapchat's compliance with the DSA, an in-depth investigation is now underway (the Investigation). The Investigation will focus on the following key areas:

• Age assurance;
• Grooming and recruitment of minors for criminal activities;
• Inadequate default account settings;
• Dissemination of information on the sale of prohibited products (e.g. drugs and vapes); and
• Reporting mechanisms for illegal content.

The Investigation will explore whether Snapchat has complied with the DSA and, specifically, whether it has satisfied the 2025 DSA Guidelines on the Protection of Minors as a Benchmark to ensure the privacy, safety and security of minors.

Why is this important?

The Investigation highlights the focus on ensuring that the DSA is properly implemented and complied with by businesses. Regulators are adopting a robust approach towards ensuring compliance with protective measures, as well as showing an increased readiness to scrutinise how VLOPs and VLOSEs mitigate risks to minors.

The importance of compliance may see businesses like Snapchat having to update their operating model to ensure that minors are adequately and appropriately protected when using the app.

Any practical tips?

Given the importance of child safety and the potential consequences of non-compliance, businesses should proactively review their operating models to ensure that they are complying with the requirements of the DSA and that their operating models will withstand an increased level of scrutiny from the regulator.

More specifically, to support age assurance measures, VLOPs and VLOSEs should consider adopting the DSA-compliant device-based age verification solution developed by the European Commission. This measure is likely to mitigate the likelihood of users under the age of thirteen accessing VLOP or VLOSE sites, or having users misrepresent their age once their account is activated.