EU Launches Child Safety Probe Into Snapchat, YouTube, App Stores

It’s the first widespread investigation launched since the European Commission adopted its Guidelines on the Protection of Minors in July.

The icons of various social media apps, including YouTube and Snapchat, as seen on a cell phone. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The European Union (EU) announced on Oct. 10 that it has opened an investigation into whether popular social media apps Snapchat and YouTube, along with the Apple Pay and Google Play online stores, are properly safeguarding minors from accessing harmful content.

The EU’s executive body, the European Commission, requested that the platforms provide information on their age verification systems, as well as how they block minors from accessing illegal products such as vape pens or drugs, or harmful materials that could promote negative behaviors, such as eating disorders.

Specifically, the commission requested information from Snapchat on the steps it takes to ensure children under the age of 13—a demographic not allowed to use the app under its terms of service—are not bypassing the app’s age verification controls and accessing the app.

The commission also requested that Snapchat provide information on its safety features to prevent minors from purchasing illegal products.

It requested similar information from YouTube’s parent company, Google, as well as details on the workings of its video recommendation system, following reports of illicit content being distributed to minors.

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice president for technological sovereignty, said the commission is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure the physical and mental well-being of children and teens online.

The EU in 2023 enacted some of the world’s most stringent online protections for minors under the Digital Services Act, and in early 2024, it furthered those protections to include all online platforms regardless of size or user base.

“Platforms have the obligation to ensure minors are safe on their services—be it through measures included in the guidelines on protection of minors, or equally efficient measures of their own choosing,” Virkkunen said.

“Today, alongside national authorities in the Member States, we are assessing whether the measures taken so far by the platforms are indeed protecting children.”

Snapchat owner Snap Inc. said in its latest transparency report that through June, it had more than 94.8 million active registered users in the European Union, including more than 27.3 million in France and nearly 20 million in Germany. The company moderates content using human and technological controls, including PhotoDNA, abusive language detection, and Google content safety API, which prevents abusive content from making it online.

A Snap company spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the company is deeply committed to helping ensure the safety of the Snapchat community.

“Our goal is to help Snapchatters communicate with their close friends and family in an environment that prioritizes their safety and reduces online risks and potential harms,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“It is why we have built privacy and safety features into our service and have provided the Commission with detailed risk assessments from the start,” the statement said. “We have received the request from the Commission and will collaborate to provide the necessary information.”

Apple, Alphabet Asked for Details

The European Commission also wanted more information from Apple and Google parent Alphabet about their efforts to manage the risk of minors from using the online stores to download harmful apps, such as gambling apps or those that allow minors to create sexually explicit content (labeled “nudify” apps), as well as how the stores apply age ratings to users.

It’s the first widespread investigation launched since the European Commission adopted its Guidelines on the Protection of Minors in July.

Those guidelines call for online platforms to automatically default minors’ accounts to private and modify recommendation systems to reduce the risk of minors coming across harmful content, among other measures.

Additionally, the guidelines recommend adopting its age verification system to ensure users under the age of 18 don’t come across adult content such as pornography or gambling.

The Epoch Times also reached out to Apple and Alphabet for comment but didn not receive a response by publication time.