Snapchat has begun switching its friend-discovery tool to an off-by-default setting for British users younger than 18, a move confirmed by the UK communications regulator. The Snapchat Find Friends default change applies to a feature that draws on details such as a user’s age, location and existing connections to suggest new people to add.
Ofcom, which oversees online safety in the country, disclosed the rollout and said it would monitor whether Snap completes the work during November. The regulator has previously criticized the company over its safeguards for minors.
What the feature does and why the setting matters
Snap describes Find Friends as a way to help users locate people they already know. According to the company, the tool is intended to support “close and trusted real-life connections while prioritizing user safety.” The feature uses information including age, location, friends and followers to make suggestions.
Leaving such a tool active by default can make it easier for younger users to be connected with people they do not know, which is why the change is being treated as a safety measure. Under the new approach, under-18 users in the UK will not have the feature switched on unless they choose to enable it.
Ofcom welcomes the step but presses for completion
Oliver Griffiths, director of Ofcom’s Online Safety Group, described the development as a significant and welcome improvement for children’s online safety in the UK. He also said it was long overdue and that the regulator would hold Snapchat’s parent company to account for finishing the rollout this month.
Griffiths added that Snap will introduce what he called highly effective age checks by the end of the year. He warned that technology companies failing to strengthen protections for younger users would face enforcement action.
Ofcom has the authority to impose penalties of up to £18 million or 10 percent of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is higher, for non-compliance.
A wider regulatory backdrop
The change comes as the UK government pursues a planned ban on social media for users under 16, announced earlier this year by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The measure would add another layer of restriction on how younger people access social platforms in the country.
Separately, the European Union has opened a formal investigation into Snap to determine whether the company breached the Digital Services Act, with a particular focus on the protection of younger users. That inquiry is ongoing and covers the platform’s obligations under EU rules.
For Snapchat, the UK rollout puts the default setting for Find Friends under scrutiny at a time when regulators in both Britain and Brussels are examining how social platforms handle minors. Ofcom’s public confirmation gives the company a clear deadline for completing the change, while the promised age-check measures will be the next test of its compliance.
