Snapchat has been identified as the most widely-used platform for online grooming, according to UK police data shared with the NSPCC, which reported over 7,000 offences of Sexual Communication with a Child across the UK by March 2024.
Nearly half of the 1,824 grooming cases with known platforms were linked to Snapchat, leading the NSPCC to express frustration over the tech industry’s slow progress in protecting children. Snapchat, popular among children and teens, has acknowledged the issue and stated it has “zero tolerance” for exploitation, but safety advocates argue the platform’s design, including disappearing messages, makes it challenging to track inappropriate interactions.
Rani Govender from the NSPCC emphasized that children have expressed concerns about harmful content and lack of responsiveness when reporting issues on Snapchat.
Parents like “Sarah,” whose young daughter was targeted on Snapchat, have shared their struggles in keeping their children safe online, with many taking extra precautions to monitor devices.
Authorities and child safety groups are now turning to the upcoming Online Safety Act, which mandates social media companies to assess and mitigate illegal content risks or face fines.
The legislation, effective in December, will be enforced by Ofcom, which promises stringent measures to curb grooming and penalize non-compliant companies. Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding, reinforced that social media companies hold significant responsibility for preventing exploitation on their platforms, highlighting the urgent need for a safer online environment for children.
The obvious answer is to take away the tech and kick them outside to have a run around like normal kids used to do…..sunlight and exercise, both good for you…………..they’ll whine a bit at first but soon get used to it…………………………
I agree, a lot t of people I know do not let their young ones to have access to the internet and for good reason too many strangers lurking. Of course there comes a time but supervision is quite important I’d think.
In the past I grew up with a natural inhibition with strangers I think it should be fostered.