Snap Announces Upcoming Option for EU Users to Opt Out of Content Personalization

Snap has emerged as the latest mainstream social media platform to adapt to new regulations in Europe, empowering users of its messaging app to disable tracking-based content personalization. This shift comes ahead of a crucial compliance deadline for digital regulations set for Friday.

The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that larger platforms allow users to opt out of content recommendation systems that rely on profiling their activities. This regulation also imposes several transparency and accountability standards for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs).

The DSA introduces a governance framework designed to standardize how online services handle reports of illegal content, goods, or services. In April, Snapchat was included among 19 platforms designated for stringent regulation, which requires them to identify and mitigate systemic risks, including those related to public health and the mental well-being of minors.

Following similar steps taken by Meta and TikTok, Snap must ensure that all 19 firms meet DSA compliance by August 25, with potential penalties for non-compliance reaching up to 6% of global annual turnover.

In a blog post detailing its DSA compliance efforts, Snap announced that users in the EU can opt out of content personalization in the Discover and Spotlight feeds and access more information about how its AI-driven recommendation systems work. "All Snapchatters in the EU now have the ability to better understand why specific content is shown to them and can opt out of personalized experiences," Snap stated. They also mentioned, "We have created a straightforward guide to explain how personalization operates on Snapchat."

Earlier this year, Snap claimed its stake in the AI chatbot trend by introducing an in-app bot capable of generating AI responses to user messages. We inquired whether EU users could deactivate this chatbot as part of DSA compliance. A Snap representative confirmed that the AI chatbot operates on an opt-in basis, meaning Snapchat+ subscribers in the EU can choose to refrain from using it.

Additionally, Snap is implementing an ads transparency library for advertisements aimed at users in the EU, as previously discussed. This library will allow users to see information about their ad experiences, including the entities funding ads, visuals of the creatives, campaign duration, impressions by EU country, and applied targeting strategies. "Users can explore this digital library to understand details about advertising campaigns," the blog states.

Snap also announced a new notification and appeals procedure concerning content removals, which will be rolled out globally in stages. "We will notify users about the reasons behind account and content removals, along with options to appeal these decisions," the company explained. "These features will first be deployed to Snapchatters in the EU before being introduced to our global audience in the coming months."

Moreover, Snap is integrating with the European Commission’s Transparency API, facilitating access to information about enforcement actions related to EU-based accounts or content.

The blog post reaffirmed other recent changes affecting users in both the EU and the UK, including a prohibition on personalized advertising to users aged 13-17. Instead, ad targeting for this age group will be limited to what Snap describes as "basic essential information," such as language, age, and location.

While the UK is no longer part of the EU, meaning the DSA is inapplicable, UK lawmakers have recently focused on online child safety, advocating for a design code aimed at preventing the tracking and profiling of minors. Compliance with this design code is tied to broader UK data protection regulations, which also carry significant penalties for violations.