UK Watchdog Investigates Snapchat Over Claims of Permitting Access to Underage Users

Britain’s data regulator is collecting data on Snapchat to determine whether the US instant messaging app is doing enough to remove underage users from its platform, two people familiar with the matter said.

Reuters exclusively reported in March that Snapchat owner Snap Inc had removed only a few dozen children under 13 from its platform in Britain last year, while UK media watchdog Ofcom estimates it has thousands of underage users.

Under UK data protection law, social media companies need parental consent before processing the data of children under 13. Social media companies usually require users to be at least 13 years old, but they have managed to keep children off their platforms.

Snapchat declined to provide information on measures it may have taken to reduce the number of underage users.

“We share the ICO’s (Information Commissioner’s Office) aims to ensure that digital platforms are age appropriate and support the obligations of the Children’s Code,” a Snap spokesperson said.

“We will continue to have constructive discussions with them about the work we are doing to achieve this,” they added.

Before starting a formal investigation, the ICO usually gathers information about the alleged breach. It may issue an information notice or formal request for internal information that may assist the investigation before deciding whether to fine the person or organization under investigation.

Last year, Ofcom found that 60 per cent of children aged eight to 11 had at least one social media account, often created by giving a false date of birth. It also found that Snapchat was the most popular app among underage social media users.

The ICO received several complaints from the public about Snap’s handling of children’s data after the Reuters report, a source familiar with the matter said.

Some of the complaints were related to Snapchat not doing enough to keep young children off its platform, the source said.

The ICO has spoken with users and other regulators to assess whether Snap has breached, the sources said.

An ICO spokeswoman told Reuters it continued to monitor and evaluate Snap and other social media platforms’ approaches to preventing underage children from accessing their platforms.

A decision on whether to launch a formal investigation into Snapchat will be made in the coming months, the sources said.

TABLE PRESSURE

If the ICO finds Snap in violation of its rules, the company could be fined up to 4 percent of its annual global revenue, which Reuters calculated would equate to $184 million based on its most recent results.

Snapchat and other social media companies are under worldwide pressure to improve the content on their platforms.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Young Children (NSPCC) said its data showed Snapchat accounted for 43 per cent of cases where social media was used to share inappropriate images of children.

Snapchat has not previously responded to this report when asked by Reuters for comment.

Earlier this year, the ICO fined TikTok 12.7 million pounds ($16.2 million) for misusing children’s data because rival Snap did not “take adequate steps” to remove it.

A TikTok spokesperson said at the time that it was “investing heavily” to keep under-13s off the platform and that its 40,000-strong security team was working “around the clock” to keep it safe.

Snapchat prevents users from signing up with a birthday that makes them under 13. However, other apps are taking more proactive measures to prevent underage children from accessing their platforms.

For example, if a person under the age of 13 is not logged into TikTok with their actual date of birth, the app will still prevent them from creating an account.