AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Dutch consumer rights watchdog ACM said on Tuesday it had opened an investigation into social media platform Snapchat, over possible failures to protect minors from illegal sellers of vapes.
Snapchat’s owner Snap Inc did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The ACM said it had indications that Snapchat was not doing enough to prevent its platform being used to sell vapes to people under 18.
That would be in breach of the European Union’s Digital Services Act, which requires a platform like Snapchat to offer adequate protection to minor users.
“A safe online environment is very important for minors. Platforms need to take measures to prevent illegal products being sold through them,” the ACM said.
“We see enough indications of possible DSA breaches by Snapchat to open an investigation.”
The consumer watchdog said it was working in close collaboration with the European Commission. It would not comment further on the investigation and did not give a timeline for it.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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