Snapchat hits 6 million users in the Netherlands amid global growth, youth concerns

Snapchat now has over 6 million monthly active users in the Netherlands, equating to roughly one in three Dutch residents. The app is particularly popular among young people, a spokesperson said.

He says the app reaches nine out of ten Dutch youth aged 13 to 24. In September 2023, Snapchat reported over 5 million monthly users in the Netherlands.

Snapchat’s global monthly user base also continues to grow, reaching 946 million by the end of last year, an increase of 6 percent compared with the previous year, Snap reported on Wednesday in its quarterly and annual results. The company’s 2025 revenue rose 11 percent to 5.9 billion dollars (around 5 billion euros), while net losses fell to 27,000 dollars, down from a loss of 42,000 dollars in 2024.

Snapchat’s large youth audience has sparked criticism over the sale of vapes to minors via the app. As a result, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) opened an investigation into Snapchat last year, following a request from the Foundation for Youth Tobacco Prevention. The regulator emphasized that platforms like Snapchat must implement measures to stop illegal products from being sold on their services.

The coalition of D66, CDA, and VVD announced their plans for a minimum age requirement for social media last week. The coalition is proposing a legal minimum age of 15 for social media, focusing on safeguarding children and teenagers and imposing stricter regulations on large platforms.

On Monday, Snapchat reported that it had blocked 415,000 accounts in response to Australia’s ban on social media use for individuals under 16. The company cautioned, however, that some users might still find ways to circumvent the age verification process.

Snapchat has called on Australian authorities to mandate that app stores verify users’ ages as an “extra safeguard” for the under-16 social media ban. Earlier, Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, had also urged Australia to require age checks in app stores before downloads are permitted.

Under the law that took effect on December 10, anyone under 16 is prohibited from using social media. Companies can be fined 49.5 million Australian dollars (nearly 30 million euros) if they do not take adequate steps to prevent minors from accessing their platforms.