Snapchat disables 'Find Friends' feature by default for UK children, Ofcom says - The News International

The decision by Snapchat to disable its "Find Friends" feature by default for minor accounts marks a major escalation in regulatory enforcement under the UK's child safety frameworks.

Snapchat has begun turning off its contact-discovery tool by default for child users in Britain. The feature which allows users to discover and add new contacts—is designed to make it significantly harder for unknown adults or bad actors to locate and approach children on the platform.

The UK media regulator, Ofcom, welcomed the move—calling it a "long overdue" measure following mounting pressure on major technology companies to curb online grooming risks.

Ofcom has noted that Snapchat is widely utilized by younger demographics in the UK despite its formal minimum age requirement of 13.

The urgency behind the policy shift is heavily underscored by child protection data. Previous analyses by groups like the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) highlighted that a significant portion of recorded offenses involving sexual communication with a child where a platform was identified took place on Snapchat.

Alongside monitoring Snapchat's rollout, Ofcom has issued broader warnings to other tech platforms failing to adequately tackle grooming risks, reminding companies that non-compliance with strict safety duties can result in massive financial penalties—up to 10% of qualifying global revenue.

A 2025 analysis of British police data by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children showed that 40% of recorded offences involving sexual communication with a child where the platform was identified took place on Snapchat.

Ofcom has pressed major tech firms to introduce stronger anti-grooming measures. It has said that online grooming can have "devastating, lifelong consequences" for children.

The regulator also re-issued a warning to other tech companies failing to tackle grooming risks, saying they risked fines of up to 10% of their qualifying global revenue.

A spokesperson for Snapchat said the platform would "continue to strengthen our protections as risks evolve and work constructively with Ofcom, safety experts, families, and young people to help ensure Snapchat remains a safe place for people to communicate and express themselves."

Snapchat has also indicated plans to implement tighter age-assurance checks for under-18s.