Snapchat — самое популярное приложение для ухода за собой

In the year to March 2024, more than 7,000 crimes of sexual communication with a child were recorded in the UK, the highest number since the offense was created.

Snapchat accounted for almost half of the 1,824 cases where police recorded a specific platform being used for grooming.

The NSPCC заявила that this shows that society is “still waiting for tech companies to make their platforms safe for children”.

Snapchat said it has a “zero tolerance” for the sexual exploitation of young people and is taking additional safety measures for teens and their parents.

Becky Riggs, chair of the National Police Child Protection Board, called the findings “shocking.”

“It is imperative that the responsibility for protecting children online is placed on the companies that create the space for them, and that the regulator strengthens the rules that social media platforms must follow,” she added.

Grooming at the age of 8

The gender of victims of grooming crimes is not always recorded by the police, but in cases where it is known, four out of five victims were girls.

Nicky – whose real name is not used – was eight years old when she received a message on a gaming app from a groomer who suggested she go on Snapchat to chat.

“I don’t need to explain the details, but that conversation had everything you can imagine – videos, photos. Requests for certain materials from Niki and so on,” her mother explained.

She then created a fake Snapchat profile pretending to be her daughter, and the man sent her a message, after which she contacted the police.

Now she checks her daughter’s devices and messages every week, despite her objections.

“It’s my duty as a mother to keep her safe,” she said.

She said that parents “can’t rely” on apps and games to