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Tag: ACM

  • Dutch Doctors Say Snapchat a Gateway for Illegal Vape Sales to Teens

    Dutch Doctors Say Snapchat a Gateway for Illegal Vape Sales to Teens

    Dutch doctors say teenagers can still buy banned nicotine products via Snapchat, despite the platform’s pledge to crack down on vape dealers. Stichting Rookpreventie Jeugd, an anti-tobacco foundation, tested Snapchat after the company announced new detection tools earlier this month, but found illegal sales thriving under slang terms. “Snapchat is extremely popular among teenagers and is being misused by dealers to promote vapes,” said lung doctor Wanda de Kanter.

    The group asked the consumer watchdog ACM to intervene, warning the platform is breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires stricter protections for minors and carries fines of up to 6% of global turnover.

    Doctors warn Snapchat is fueling a worsening teen addiction crisis. Flavored disposable vapes have been banned in the Netherlands since 2024, yet surveys show rising youth use, with 14.3% of 12–16-year-olds vaping monthly.

  • Dutch Foundation Threatens SnapChat Over Vape Marketing

    Dutch Foundation Threatens SnapChat Over Vape Marketing

    Dutch anti-smoking foundation Stichting Rookpreventie Jeugd is threatening legal action against social media giant SnapChat, accusing the platform of facilitating the illegal sale of vapes to minors. The foundation imposed a two-week deadline to take action before it files a formal complaint with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) and the European Commission, potentially triggering regulatory intervention.

    Despite a national ban on flavored vapes implemented over a year ago, such products continue to circulate online, including on SnapChat.

    “SnapChat is the place for vape dealers to reach teens, children tell us,” said Dr. Daniëlle Cohen, a lung pathologist affiliated with the group. “We are seeing a growing number of young people suffering from serious nicotine addiction, with major consequences for their physical and mental health.”

    Lawyer Laura van Gijn, representing the foundation, says SnapChat is failing to meet its obligations under the Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to actively monitor and restrict harmful content. “If SnapChat can recognize and remove nude images, it can certainly exclude the promotion of vapes,” she told Dutch broadcaster NOS.