Critics of the UK government are questioning whether its threatened action against the social media platform X is truly aimed at protecting children, following renewed scrutiny of online grooming data from charities and police.
The debate intensified after a post shared by Elon Musk highlighted figures from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and UK law‑enforcement bodies. The data indicate that Snapchat, not X, accounts for the largest share of identified online child grooming cases.
According to NSPCC and police figures cited by commentators, Snapchat is linked to roughly 40%–48% of recorded grooming cases, while platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram trail behind. X accounts for less than 2%, based on cases where a platform was identified.
The NSPCC reported more than 7,000 “sexual communication with a child” offences in 2023–24, an 89% increase since 2017–18. The charity says much of the abuse takes place through private messaging systems that are harder to monitor.
NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless has urged stronger enforcement of the Online Safety Act, arguing that regulators need clearer powers to address abuse on platforms used for private messaging, including Snapchat and WhatsApp.
Victims and child safety advocates continue to warn about the risks of disappearing messages and location‑sharing tools. Police officials have argued that technology companies must shoulder more responsibility for safeguarding under‑18 users.
A Snapchat spokesperson said the company removes offending content, shuts down accounts, and reports suspected abuse to authorities when it is detected or reported by users.
The UK government has said its online safety measures are designed to protect children, but critics argue the focus on X raises questions, given the available data on where most grooming cases actually occur.
The wider debate highlights ongoing tensions between online safety enforcement, platform regulation, and free speech, as governments face pressure to act on rising digital abuse while ensuring proportionate regulation.
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