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6d ago

Snapchat Grooming Case Prompts Renewed Focus on Child Safety Features

Details of Jai Clapp’s sentencing for grooming and abusing an 11-year-old emerge as scrutiny grows on Snapchat’s Quick Add feature and Australia’s upcoming under-16 social media ban.

London, UK - July 19, 2018: The buttons of Instagram, Skype, Pinterest, Spotify, Snapchat Facebook and other apps on the screen of an iPhone.
An 11-year-old Australian girl was exploited by a stranger she met through Snapchat’s Quick Add feature
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Overview

  • Jai Clapp, 23, was sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison for grooming and sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2023 after meeting her through Snapchat's Quick Add feature.
  • The victim, referred to as 'April,' was participating in a Snap score competition with a friend when she added Clapp, who falsely claimed to be 17 years old.
  • Snapchat's Quick Add algorithm, designed to suggest friends based on mutual connections, has faced criticism for exposing minors to potential predators.
  • Snap has introduced new safety measures, including limiting friend suggestions for teens, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting young users.
  • Australia's government is set to enforce a ban on under-16 social media use starting December 2025, marking one of the strictest regulations globally to safeguard children online.