The European Union has formally requested information from tech giants Apple, Google, Snapchat, and YouTube regarding their efforts to protect children online. The move comes under the enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping regulation aimed at ensuring digital platforms uphold safety, privacy, and transparency standards across the EU.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, announced the action during a meeting of digital ministers in Denmark. “Privacy, security and safety have to be ensured, and this is not always the case,” Virkkunen stated. “That’s why the Commission is tightening the enforcement of our rules.”
The European Commission has sent formal requests for information to Apple Store, Google Play, Snapchat, and YouTube, seeking clarity on the platforms’ practices to safeguard minors. This includes how they handle age verification, targeted advertising, parental controls, and default privacy settings for underage users.
The initiative aligns with the EU’s July 2025 guidelines, which advocate for private-by-default accounts for children, reduced exposure to targeted ads, and stronger digital protections. While these guidelines are not yet binding laws, they signal the EU’s growing commitment to creating a safer online environment for users under 18.
Denmark has taken a particularly strong stance, with its Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen suggesting a potential ban on social media access for children under 15. The EU’s latest move is seen as a precursor to stricter enforcement actions, including fines of up to 6% of a company’s global revenue for non-compliance.
