Snapchat begins restricting contact discovery for children in Britain

Children using Snapchat in Britain are beginning to have its Find Friends tool turned off automatically, Ofcom said on November 6. The British media regulator said the adjustment should limit contact from strangers and reduce exposure to online grooming.

Snapchat pledged in May to alter the default setting for the feature, which lets people discover and add contacts. Oliver Griffiths, director of Ofcom's Online Safety Group, called the change “long overdue” and said Ofcom would track its implementation during November.

The platform has also told Ofcom it expects effective age checks covering users younger than 18 to be operating by year-end. Ofcom said in May that Snapchat reached 32% of Britain's children aged 8 to 12, even though users must be at least 13.

British police figures reviewed in 2025 by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children showed Snapchat was the platform involved in 40% of recorded offenses concerning sexual communication with children when the service was identified.

A Snapchat spokesperson said the company would adapt its protections to changing risks and collaborate with Ofcom, safety experts, families and young people. The regulator renewed its warning that technology companies could be fined as much as 10% of qualifying global revenue for failing to address grooming risks.