Snapchat most-used app for grooming, says NSPCC

The messaging app Snapchat is the astir widely-used level for online grooming, according to constabulary figures supplied to the children's foundation the NSPCC.

More than 7,000 Sexual Communication with a Child offences were recorded crossed the UK successful the twelvemonth to March 2024 - the highest fig since the offence was created.

Snapchat made up astir fractional of the cases wherever the level utilized for the grooming was recorded by the police.

The NSPCC said it showed nine was "still waiting for tech companies to marque their platforms harmless for children."

Snapchat told the BBC it had "zero tolerance" of the intersexual exploitation of young people, and had other information measures successful spot for teens and their parents.

Becky Riggs, the National Police Chief’s Council pb for kid protection, described the information arsenic "shocking."

"It is imperative that the work of safeguarding children online is placed with the companies who make spaces for them, and the regulator strengthens rules that societal media platforms indispensable follow," she added.

The sex of the victims of grooming offences was not ever recorded by police, but of the cases wherever it was known, 4 successful 5 victims were girls.

Nicki - whose existent sanction the BBC is not utilizing - was 8 erstwhile she was messaged connected a gaming app by a groomer who encouraged her to spell connected to Snapchat for a conversation.

"I don't request to explicate details, but thing that you tin ideate happening happened successful those speech - videos, pictures. Requests of definite worldly from Nicki, etcetera," her mother, who the BBC is calling Sarah, explained.

She past created a fake Snapchat illustration pretending to beryllium her girl and the antheral messaged - astatine which constituent she contacted the police.

She present checks her daughter's devices and messages connected a play basis, contempt her girl objecting.

"It's my work arsenic mum to guarantee she is safe," she told the BBC.

She said parents "cannot rely" connected apps and games to bash that occupation for them.

Snapchat is 1 of the smaller societal media platforms successful the UK - but is very fashionable with children and teenagers.

That is "something that adults are apt to exploit erstwhile they're looking to groom children," says Rani Govender, kid information online argumentation manager astatine the NSPCC.

But Ms Govender says determination are besides "problems with the plan of Snapchat which are besides putting children astatine risk."

Messages and images connected Snapchat vanish aft 24 hours - making incriminating behaviour harder to way - and senders besides cognize if the recipient has screengrabbed a message.

Ms Govender says the NSPCC hears straight from children who azygous retired Snapchat arsenic a concern.

"When they marque a study [on Snapchat], this isn't listened to, and that they're capable to spot utmost and convulsive contented connected the app arsenic well," she told the BBC.

A Snapchat spokesperson told the BBC the intersexual exploitation of young radical was "horrific."

"If we place specified activity, oregon it is reported to us, we region the content, disable the account, instrumentality steps to forestall the offender from creating further accounts, and study them to the authorities," they added.

The instances of signaling grooming has been expanding since the offence of Sexual Communication with a Child came into unit successful 2017, reaching a caller grounds precocious of 7,062 this year.

Of the 1,824 cases wherever the level was known past year, 48% were recorded connected Snapchat.

The fig of grooming offences recorded connected Snapchat has risen each twelvemonth since 2018/19.

Reported grooming offences connected WhatsApp besides roseate somewhat successful the past year. On Instagram and Facebook, known cases person fallen implicit caller years, according to the figures. All 3 platforms are owned by Meta.

WhatsApp told the BBC it has "robust information measures" successful spot to support radical connected its app.

Jess Phillips, curate for safeguarding and unit against women and girls, said societal media companies "have a work to halt this vile maltreatment from happening connected their platforms".

In a statement, she added: “Under the Online Safety Act they volition person to halt this benignant of amerciable contented being shared connected their sites, including connected backstage and encrypted messaging services oregon look important fines."

The Online Safety Act includes a ineligible request for tech platforms to support children safe.

From December, large tech firms volition person to people their hazard assessments connected amerciable harms connected their platforms.

Media regulator Ofcom, which volition enforce those rules, said: "Our draught codes of signifier see robust measures that volition assistance forestall grooming by making it harder for perpetrators to interaction children.

"We’re prepared to usage the afloat grade of our enforcement powers against immoderate companies that travel up abbreviated erstwhile the clip comes."