The European Commission has demanded detailed information from U.S. tech giants Apple, Google, YouTube, and Snapchat over alleged failures to adequately protect children online, raising potential breaches of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU telecommunications ministers in Horsens, Denmark, on Friday, European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said platforms were not meeting the “very high levels of privacy, security, and safety” required when minors use online services.
“This is not always the case,” Virkkunen noted, adding that the Commission would assess the platforms’ compliance with the DSA before deciding whether to open formal proceedings.
The inquiry will examine how Snapchat, YouTube, Apple Store, and Google Play handle child safety, including concerns that YouTube’s age restrictions are easily bypassed and that its algorithms could foster addictive behaviour among children.
Officials are also probing whether minors can access gambling or casino apps via Apple’s and Google’s stores, and whether Snapchat enables drug sales or fails to enforce its own minimum age requirement of 13.
If violations are confirmed, the Commission could impose fines of up to six per cent of a company’s global annual turnover.
The investigation follows the EU’s publication of child protection guidelines in July to help platforms comply with the DSA. The law requires online services to swiftly remove illegal content and ensure that minors are shielded from harmful material, with stricter obligations placed on major tech firms.
Virkkunen stressed that while children have the right to be online and connect with friends, companies must ensure those spaces are safe.
The DSA, a cornerstone of the EU’s digital regulation framework, has heightened transatlantic tensions, with U.S. President Donald Trump previously criticising the bloc’s laws as “anti-competitive.”
