Snapchat has been identified as the most widely-used platform for online grooming, according to figures analysed by NSPCC, the children’s charity.

According to police figures, the year to March 2024 saw the highest number of Sexual Communication of Child offenses since the offence was created, at over 7,000.

Social media platform Snapchat made up close to half (48%) of the cases of online grooming recorded by the police.

Meta’s various platforms also contributed greatly to the figures, with WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger contributing to 12% of cases, and Instagram 6%.

According to a statement to the BBC, Snapchat said it has a “zero tolerance” policy concerning the sexual exploitation of children, and has safety tools for teens and parents.

However, online safety advocates point out how the design of Snapchat can make it a danger in itself. Messages and images on Snapchat typically disappear after 24 hours, and users can see if a recipient has screenshot or saved any images shared.

This makes criminality more difficult to track than on other platforms.

Amid the continued rise in offenses, the NPCC is calling on Ofcom to strengthen the Online Safety Act and focus on prevention rather than mitigating harm after offenses take place.

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The charity is calling for more proactive safety measures from social media platforms to combat surge in offences.

“One year since the Online Safety Act became law and we are still waiting for tech companies to make their platforms safe for children,” NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said.

“We need ambitious regulation by Ofcom who must significantly strengthen their current approach to make companies address how their products are being exploited by offenders.

“It is clear that much of this abuse is taking place in private messaging, which is why we also need the Government to strengthen the Online Safety Act to give Ofcom more legal certainty to tackle child sexual abuse on the likes of Snapchat and WhatsApp.”