Snapchat Disables Find Friends Feature for UK Children, Ofcom Confirms
· Technology · Indian Express, Economic Times
Snapchat has begun disabling its Find Friends feature by default for child users in the UK as part of efforts to reduce the risk of online grooming, according to British media regulator Ofcom. The regulator stated that 32% of children aged 8 to 12 in Britain use Snapchat despite its minimum age restriction of 13. Ofcom confirmed the change makes it harder for strangers to contact children on the platform, which it considers one of the largest and most popular online services used by children in the country. The regulator also warned other tech companies failing to tackle grooming risks could face fines of up to 10% of their qualifying global revenue. Snapchat had committed to implementing such changes in May and stated it would continue strengthening protections as risks evolve. A 2025 analysis of British police data showed 40% of recorded offences involving sexual communication with a child where the platform was identified took place on Snapchat.
Why it matters
The change directly impacts millions of UK children using Snapchat by limiting stranger contact, potentially reducing online grooming risks that have affected 40% of related police cases, while setting a regulatory precedent for child safety enforcement across major tech platforms.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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