The European Union has formally demanded that tech giants Snapchat and YouTube explain the measures they are taking to protect children from online harm.
The request for information is part of an investigative action under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission is specifically asking Snapchat how it prevents children under 13 from accessing the platform and how it stops the sale of drugs and vapes through the app.
YouTube has been asked to provide details on its content recommendation system following reports of harmful content being disseminated to minors. The commission also sent requests to Apple and Google’s app stores regarding their measures to prevent children from downloading harmful apps.
This move comes as several EU member states explore the possibility of restricting minors’ access to social media at a bloc-wide level, inspired by similar bans in countries like Australia.
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