Snapchat Disables Find Friends Feature for British Children
Snapchat disabled its Find Friends feature by default for child users in Britain to combat online grooming following pressure from regulator Ofcom.
The British media regulator Ofcom announced Friday that Snapchat has begun disabling its Find Friends feature by default for child users in Britain. The move aims to reduce the risk of online grooming by preventing strangers from easily contacting children through the platform.
This action follows a commitment made by the company in May. The change comes as data from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children indicates that 40% of recorded sexual communication offences involving children on identified platforms occurred on Snapchat. Ofcom further reported that 32% of British children aged 8 to 12 use the platform, despite a minimum age requirement of 13.
Snapchat has committed to implementing effective age checks for users under 18 by the end of the year. Ofcom warned other technology companies that failing to address grooming risks could result in fines of up to 10% of their qualifying global revenue.
