Snap Inc has started switching off its friend recommendation tool for young people in the United Kingdom following regulatory pressure. Under the new policy, Snapchat Find Friends is turned off by default for all British users under the age of 18 [2]. Media regulator Ofcom welcomed the measure as a step to protect children from online strangers, but said the change is long overdue [1]. The update arrives as regulators in Britain and Europe enforce higher safety standards on tech platforms to shield minors from unwanted contact.
New Default Settings for Snapchat Find Friends
The policy change alters how the application handles contact discovery for younger accounts. Under the updated default setup, both “Enable Find Friends” and “Show me in Find Friends” are switched off automatically for UK accounts held by anyone under 18. This setup means teenagers will not see automated friend suggestions when they open the app, nor will they pop up as recommendations for other members. Adults also will not receive alerts when a teenager joins the service or appears in a synced phone book [2].
The tool works by analyzing signals such as user age, geographic location, mutual friends, and existing followers to recommend connections. While Snap said the feature helps “close and trusted real-life connections while prioritizing user safety,” child safety advocates argued it allowed strangers to reach minors without friction. Oliver Griffiths, who directs Ofcom’s Online Safety Group, called the update “an important and welcome improvement in child online safety,” but said it was “long overdue” and confirmed the regulator will hold Snap to completing the rollout during November [1].
Snap agreed to the restriction in May following Ofcom pressure [4]. The platform aims to finish rollout by late November [1]. Teens can still add contacts, but it needs deliberate action.
Why Ofcom Targeted Contact Defaults
The overhaul to Snapchat Find Friends stems from how people interact with app settings in daily life. Regulators have found that default settings, rather than parental vigilance, determine how much exposure children face from strangers online. When an application activates discovery tools by default, the feature tends to stay turned on indefinitely because few families dig through privacy menus to turn it off. Opting in changes that dynamic by requiring young people to decide in advance whether they want other accounts to discover them [6].
British regulators focused on the platform because a large volume of children spend time on it daily. Ofcom reported in May that 32% of UK children aged 8 to 12 use the app, even though the service sets an official minimum age of 13. That disconnect means many underage users navigated the service under settings configured for older audiences. Griffiths warned that leaving friend discovery open exposed young children to online stranger danger before parents even knew an account existed [2].
The regulatory push comes as part of Britain’s Online Safety Act, which places duties on tech platforms rather than families. Instead of relying on advisory guides that many households overlook, the regulator wants protective designs built into the software [6]. For British families, the practical result is that a child’s account will no longer pull strangers into view without a clear choice.
Police Data on Underage Contact Risks
Child protection groups supported the regulatory intervention by pointing to law enforcement figures on online grooming. A 2025 analysis of British police data compiled by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children revealed that police recorded 7,263 offences involving sexual communication with a child in the United Kingdom. That figure was nearly double the 3,728 offences recorded by forces during the 2017/18 reporting period [4]. The steep rise prompted child safety campaigners to push for changes to social media discovery tools.
When police managed to identify the specific app involved in those communications, one service appeared far more often than its peers. Police identified the platform involved in 2,111 of those offences, and Snapchat accounted for 40% of that total. In comparison, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram each accounted for 9% of the identified cases [4]. Child protection advocates argued that recommendation tools made it easy for predatory adults to locate minors through mutual contacts and location signals.
Ofcom warned that online grooming can have “devastating, lifelong consequences” for young people caught in predatory chats. A Snapchat spokesperson said the company would “continue to strengthen our protections as risks evolve and work constructively with Ofcom, safety experts, families, and young people to help ensure Snapchat remains a safe place for people to communicate and express themselves” [3]. The regulator countered that voluntary pledges were not enough, saying enforcement actions will target companies that leave minors exposed [1].
How Teens Manage Snapchat Find Friends
Although the automated suggestions are turned off, teenagers in Britain can still connect with classmates and friends through manual methods. According to the company’s UK safety documentation, young people can find peers by typing an exact username into the search bar, scanning an individual Snapcode in person, or looking up contacts already saved in their personal address book [2]. These direct tools allow teenagers to maintain real-world friendships without being broadcast across automated recommendation feeds.
Teens who want broader visibility can still turn the recommendation feature back on if they choose. A user can navigate to Settings, open Privacy Controls, and switch on discovery manually. Before the change takes effect, the app shows an on-screen warning explaining that turning the feature on exposes the profile to adults and people they do not know. Teens can manage Snapchat Find Friends under the Privacy Controls menu, but reopening the tool triggers an on-screen warning [2].
The changes coincide with a wave of age-related rules taking hold in the technology sector as regulators demand clearer separation between young audiences and adult services. Earlier this year, Apple set an 18-and-over age floor for dating apps and AI companions to prevent younger audiences from accessing unvetted adult products. Snap has committed to introducing “highly effective age checks” in the UK by the end of 2026 to make sure users under 18 can’t bypass protections simply by entering a false birth date during signup [1]. If the age verification tools succeed, they will close the loophole that allows young children to register as adults, so that default protections shield the users who need them most. Griffiths said Ofcom will monitor that rollout closely before the year ends. That measure prevents minors from circumventing privacy settings on the platform [2].
Fines and Legal Deadlines for Tech Firms
Ofcom holds broad legal powers under the Online Safety Act to penalize companies that fail to protect underage users. The regulator can issue fines reaching up to £18 million or 10% of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever amount is higher [1]. The authority’s legal standing grew stronger after tech companies including Meta, TikTok, and X lost their court challenge against the legislation [2]. Griffiths warned that Ofcom will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers if social media firms delay their child safety duties [1].
The regulatory pressure lands at a difficult moment for Snap as it navigates financial hurdles and shifting market sentiment. The company carries a market capitalization of $8.33 billion and trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 1.26, well below its past median of 8.8. Snap posted a negative earnings per share of -$0.09 over the trailing twelve months, while company insiders sold more than $110 million in shares without any recorded insider purchases over the past year. Premium subscription offerings like Snapchat+ and augmented reality Spectacles have yet to turn the business profitable, leaving little financial cushion for regulatory fines [5].
Regulatory oversight is accelerating outside Britain as well. Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans earlier this year for the UK to ban social media access for children under 16. Across the English Channel, the European Union has opened a probe into Snap under the Digital Services Act to evaluate whether its algorithms protect younger members [1]. The default setting for Snapchat Find Friends applies only to UK accounts for now, but growing international pressure may expand the restriction [2].
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- ONLINE NEWS GuruFocus News. (2026, November 6). Snapchat (SNAP) Disables “Find Friends” by Default for UK Users. GuruFocus. [Article Link]
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