Snapchat admits its age verification system does not work

'There is no fool-proof verification system,' said Stephen Collins, senior director of public policy at Snap

Snapchat's verification system is failing to prevent under-age children from using the messaging app, the firm has said.

At a hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, representatives for Snapchat admitted children who were too young to use it were able to bypass current safeguards.

"We don't want under-13s on the platform, we take steps to prevent them joining the platform, but you're absolutely right: The end result is that there is no foolproof verification system," said Stephen Collins, a senior director of public policy at Snapchat's parent company, Snap.

"We hope that parents, of course, and carers will help children adjust their phones to take advantage of those apps which are safest and most age-appropriate for them."

Currently, Snapchat users are required to self-declare their age by simply entering their date of birth when signing up to the app.

Other measures designed to prevent children under the age of 13 from using Snapchat include listing the app in the Teen section of the Google Play store for people downloading the app to Android smartphones and tablets. The Snapchat app is also listed in the '12+' section of Apple's App Store.

Child safety advocates called on Snap to do more to put inn place mechanisms to keep young users safe online.

"We know 18 per cent of eight to 11 year olds have a social media account, and yet social networks still fail to build child safety measures into their platforms from the start," Tony Stower, head of child safety online at the NSPCC, said in a statement to The Independent. "Dealing with it after harm has taken place is simply too late."

When asked how its age verification methods could be improved, Mr Collins said the platform was considering implementing parental consent, though he said this could also potentially be spoofed by underage users.

"I think the most sustainable solution would be some kind of central verification system," he said.

The UK is already planing to introduce new rules to prevent people watching adult videos who are too young.

The move has been widely criticised by privacy experts, who argue that people's online viewing habits could be leaked onto the internet.

"Age verification comes with significant privacy risks, and the potential for widespread censorship of legal material," Open Rights Group director Jim Killock said on Tuesday.

Snapchat did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent.