Snapchat Switches Off Friend Suggestions For UK Children Amid Online Grooming Fears

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Snapchat has begun switching off friend suggestions for children in Britain by default, as regulators push social media companies to strengthen protections against online grooming.

The move, recently announced by UK media regulator Ofcom, is designed to make it harder for strangers to find and contact children through the platform.

Recommended For You Saudi-led coalition targets Houthi missile launchers used in attempted Riyadh attack

The change affects Snapchat's Find Friends feature, which helps users discover and add contacts. Under the new settings, users under 18 in Britain will no longer automatically receive friend suggestions or appear in other users' recommendations.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

However, the feature has not been removed completely. Young users can choose to turn it back on, and other ways of finding and adding friends remain available.

Why is Snapchat making the change?

The move follows pressure from Ofcom, which has called on major technology companies to take stronger action against online grooming.

In May, the regulator reported that 32 per cent of children aged eight to 12 in Britain used Snapchat, despite the platform's minimum age requirement of 13. The findings raised concerns about how effectively social media companies enforce age restrictions and protect younger users.

Snapchat committed to introducing stronger safeguards in May, and Ofcom said the company has now begun rolling out the changes.

Oliver Griffiths, director of Ofcom's Online Safety Group, welcomed the move, describing it as an important improvement in child safety that had taken too long to introduce. The regulator said it would monitor the rollout throughout November to ensure the changes are completed.

How will the new settings work?

According to Snapchat's official guidance, friend suggestions through Find Friends will be switched off by default for users under 18 in the UK.

This means young users will not receive suggested friends on their Add Friends page or appear in other people's friend recommendations while the settings remain disabled.

Users who have chosen to synchronise their phone contacts with Snapchat can still see people from their contact list and send them friend requests.

Other ways of connecting, including searching for usernames and using Snapcodes, also remain available.

Snapchat says users may still be found through an exact name or username search, although the platform has additional restrictions designed to limit how strangers discover teenage accounts.

Young users can also choose to reactivate Find Friends. The company warns that doing so could expose them to suggestions involving adults or people they do not know.

Why are regulators concerned about online grooming?

Online grooming involves someone building a relationship with a child, often through digital platforms, with the intention of exploiting or abusing them.

The issue has become a growing concern for child protection organisations as social media platforms allow users to connect beyond their existing circles.

A 2025 analysis of British police data by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children found that Snapchat was identified in 40 per cent of recorded offences involving sexual communication with a child where the platform was known.

The figure relates to the recorded offences examined in the analysis. It does not mean that 40 per cent of children using Snapchat experienced abuse.

Ofcom has warned that technology companies failing to address online grooming risks could face enforcement action, including fines of up to 10 per cent of their qualifying global revenue.

What happens next?

Snapchat has told Ofcom that highly effective age checks should be applied by the end of 2026 to help ensure users under 18 benefit from the new protections.

The regulator said it would continue monitoring the company's progress and hold it accountable for completing the rollout.

Although disabling friend suggestions may reduce the risk of unwanted contact, it does not prevent strangers from finding young users through every available method. For now, the change applies to users under 18 in Britain, with no confirmed announcement of an equivalent worldwide rollout.

ALSO READ

Turkey social media ban for under-15s takes effect November 1 EU tells TikTok to change 'harmful' design of For You feed or risk large fines UAE parents urged to understand online slang to protect children

MENAFN10112026000049011007ID1111937988