The European Union has asked Snapchat, YouTube, and other tech companies to explain how they protect children from harmful online content. The move comes as EU countries consider introducing age limits for minors using social media.
The request is part of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that holds online platforms responsible for keeping users—especially children—safe from illegal and harmful material.
According to the European Commission, Snapchat must explain how it prevents children under 13 from accessing its app. Officials also asked Apple’s App Store and Google Play to share details of their systems for stopping children from downloading dangerous or adult-themed apps.
The EU is especially concerned about apps that can create sexualised images without consent, known as “nudify apps.” It also wants to know how Apple and Google apply age ratings to protect minors.
EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said children’s safety online must be taken seriously.
“Privacy, security, and safety have to be ensured, and this is not always the case. That’s why the Commission is tightening the enforcement of our rules,” she said.
Although the request for information does not mean the companies have broken any laws, it could lead to investigations and possible fines if problems are found.
The EU has also asked YouTube to explain how its recommendation system works, following reports that harmful videos are being shown to minors. For Snapchat, the Commission wants to know what measures it takes to stop users from buying drugs or vapes through the platform.
Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen supported the EU’s move, saying the bloc must take stronger action to protect children online.
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This latest demand follows ongoing EU investigations into Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok, over fears that their platforms are too addictive for young users.
Meanwhile, EU telecoms ministers meeting in Denmark discussed how to improve age verification on social media. They also talked about plans to create a digital age of consent across all 27 EU countries.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has supported the idea and announced plans to set up an experts’ panel “to assess what steps make sense” for protecting minors online.
Some EU countries have already taken action. France now requires parental consent for users under 15, while Denmark plans to ban social media for children under 15.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark’s goal is to make the online world “a safer place for young people.”
The EU’s latest actions mark a growing effort to hold major tech companies accountable and ensure that digital platforms put child safety first.