Exclusive: Snapchat under scrutiny by UK watchdog on underage users: sources

LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Britain’s data watchdog is collecting data on Snapchat to establish whether the US instant messaging app is doing enough to remove underage users from its platform, they said. two people familiar with the matter.

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

Under UK data protection law, social media companies require parental consent before processing data from children under 13. Social media companies generally require users to be 13 or older, but have had mixed success in keeping children off their platforms.

Snapchat declined to provide details of steps it might have taken to reduce the number of underage users.

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

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

Before starting any official investigation, the ICO usually collects information related to an alleged violation. You can issue an information notice, a formal request for internal data that can help the investigation, before you decide whether to fine the person or organization under investigation.

Last year, Ofcom found 60% of children between the ages of eight and 11 had at least one social media account, often created by providing a false date of birth. He also discovered that Snapchat was the most popular app for underage users of social networks.

The ICO received a number of 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 related to Snapchat don’t do enough to keep young children off its platform, the source said.

The ICO has spoken with users and other regulators to assess whether there has been any breach by Snap, the sources said.

An ICO spokesperson told Reuters that it continued to monitor and evaluate the approaches that Snap and other social media platforms were taking to prevent 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.

PLATFORM PRESSURE

If the ICO were to find that Snap breached its rules, the company could face a fine equal to up to 4% of its annual global turnover, which according to a Reuters calculation would be equivalent to $184 million based on its most recent financial results.

Snapchat and other social media companies are under pressure globally to better control the content on their platforms.

The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Young Children) has said that figures it obtained showed that Snapchat accounted for 43% of cases where social media was used to distribute indecent images of children.

Richard Collard, the NSPCC’s associate head of child safety online, said in response to the Reuters report on Tuesday that the charity was very concerned about the use of Snapchat by children under 13.

“Snapchat users ages 11 and 12 are talking to Childline about how they send nudity and communicate with adults on the platform,” he said.

“It is vital that we see stronger action to ensure that young children do not use the platform and that older children are safe from harm.”

Earlier this year, the ICO found tik tok 12.7 million pounds ($16.2 million) for misuse of children’s data, saying Snap’s competitor did not “take sufficient steps” to remove it.

A TikTok spokesperson said at the time that it “invested a lot” to keep children under 13 off the platform and that its 40,000-strong security team worked “around the clock” to keep it safe.

Snapchat prevents users from signing up with a date of birth that makes them under 13 years of age. However, other apps take more proactive steps to prevent underage children from accessing their platforms.

For example, if a minor under the age of 13 was unable to sign up for TikTok with their actual birth date, the app continues to prevent them from creating an account.

($1 = 0.7833 pounds)

Reporting by Martin Coulter; Edited by Matt Scuffham and Alexander Smith

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