Snapchat turns off Find Friends by default for UK children
Britain's media regulator Ofcom said on Friday that the change is an important step to reduce the risk of online grooming. Ofcom said it will monitor the rollout this month.
Ofcom said the change will make it harder for strangers to contact children on Snapchat. Oliver Griffiths, director of Ofcom's Online Safety Group, said the change was long overdue. Ofcom said Snapchat acted after pressure from the regulator.
Ofcom said 32% of children aged eight to 12 in Britain used Snapchat in May. The platform sets a minimum age of 13. A 2025 analysis of British police data by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children found that 40% of recorded offences involving sexual communication with a child, where the platform was known, took place on Snapchat.
Ofcom said Snapchat told it that effective age checks for under 18s should be in place by the end of the year. Ofcom warned that other tech companies which fail to tackle grooming risks face fines of up to 10% of qualifying global revenue.
Key facts
- Who
- Oliver Griffiths (director of Ofcom's Online Safety Group); Ofcom (British media regulator); Snapchat (image-sharing social media platform); National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (published 2025 analysis of British police data on grooming offences)
- What
- Britain's media regulator Ofcom said Snapchat has started turning off its friend-discovery "Find Friends" feature by default for child users in Britain, following regulator pressure. Ofcom said it would monitor the rollout this month.
- When
- 6 November 2026
- Where
- Britain
- Status
- Reported