EU opens probe into Snapchat and other platforms over child safety and illegal goods

Insights

• European Commission has opened a formal probe into Snapchat for allegedly failing to protect minors from grooming and the sale of illegal goods.
• The Commission says four platforms failed to stop children accessing pornography and that self-declared age checks are insufficient.
• Absent a parliamentary fix, scanning platforms for child sexual abuse material will become illegal in the EU early next month.
• Commissioners are urging the European Parliament to pass an emergency amendment to the child sexual abuse bill to preserve scanning powers.
• The Council of Europe human rights chief cautioned that broad bans on children using social media raise human rights concerns.