Rädda Barnen Raises Alarm Over Grooming Risks on Snapchat

A recent study by Rädda Barnen highlights alarming trends in online grooming, particularly on Snapchat, with half of all suspected grooming cases traced to this popular platform. According to police inspector Frida Lindström, the app's increasing appeal among young users has made it a target for predators looking to exploit vulnerable children.

Bodil Liv Holm, head of digital abuse protection at Rädda Barnen, characterized Snapchat as the worst platform for such incidents, largely due to its unique features that allow messages and images to disappear, effectively shielding abusers from detection. The organization notes a dramatic change in the pace of grooming incidents—where previously it could take months for offenders to establish trust, cases are now escalating within a day, resulting in immediate threats to children.

Lindström reports that many grooming cases involve adults coercing minors into sharing explicit images, which can later be used for blackmail. In response, Rädda Barnen urges parents to engage in proactive, open conversations about their children’s social interactions instead of relying solely on bans to mitigate risks. The organization also advocates for Snapchat to implement stricter age verification measures, suggesting that while there's been some improvement in cooperation between law enforcement and social media, much more needs to be done to protect children from online abuse.