Actions under the Digital Services Act for the protection of minors

The European Commission has taken two enforcement actions under the Digital Services Act.

The Commission has launched formal proceedings to investigate whether Snapchat ensures a high level of safety, privacy and security for children online, in line with the Digital Services Act. Snapchat may have violated the act by exposing minors to attempts to groom and recruit for criminal purposes, as well as to information about the sale of drugs and alcohol.

In addition, the Commission preliminarily found that Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos are in breach of the Digital Services Act by not protecting minors from exposure to pornographic content on their services. Although the terms of service state that the services are intended for adults only, all four platforms allow minors to access by simple click, confirming that they are over 18 years old.