The Snapchat Is Investigated By The Netherlands: Failed To Prevent Vape Sales To Minors?

Snapchat is accused of not making enough efforts to prevent its platform from being used to sell vapes to children under 18. (photo; dock. pexels)

JAKARTA - Dutch consumer protection authority ACM announced on Tuesday, September 9, that it has opened an investigation into social media platform Snapchat regarding the possibility of failing to protect minors from illegal vape sellers.

ACM stated that it had indications that Snapchat was not making enough effort to prevent its platform from being used to sell vapes to children under 18. The move is considered a violation of the European Union's Digital Services Act, which requires platforms like Snapchat to provide adequate protection for underage users.

"Safe online environments are very important for minors. Platforms must take steps to prevent the sale of illegal products through them," ACM said. "We see enough indications of potential DSA violation by Snapchat to open an investigation."

Snap Inc, Snapchat's parent company, said it would respond to the investigation and confirmed that it was taking the issues raised seriously.

"We have invested huge resources to stop perpetrators from abusing our platform and to educate Snapchat users. We are continuing to work to improve our proactive detection technology," a Snap spokesperson said in a statement.

"We don't allow advertisers to promote vapes, and we are trying to block search results for illegal content. Unfortunately, there are no security features or single policies that can eliminate any threats online or in the real world," he added.

ACM stated that they were working closely with the European Commission on this investigation. However, they did not provide further comment on the investigation and did not mention the completion schedule.