Snap has become the mainstream social media company to join other mainstream firms that trail changes in Europe: including a new user of its messaging app switch for tracking-based content personalization. The measures precede a major deadline to the end of this week concerning compliance with digital regulations, specifically Friday.

The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) makes greater platforms allow users to opt out of content recommender systems that operate based on profiling their activity on the platform. In addition to a variety of algorithmic transparency and accountability measures which are applied to so-called VLOPs and VLOSE - very large online platforms and very large online search engines, respectively.

The wider scope of the regulation, which applies to countless small digital services from early next year, establishes a governance structure looking for a harmonized response across online businesses to reports about illegal content, goods, or services.

Back in April, Snapchat was among 19 larger platforms named by the bloc as falling under the strictest level of regulation, which also requires them to identify and mitigate systemic risks on their platforms, including in relation to areas like public health and minors' mental health.

In line with Snap, Meta and TikTok have recently announced identical measures towards compliance. The deadline to which the 19 firms comply under the DSA is set for August 25. Penalties for breaches in the regime can reach as high as 6% of global annual turnover.

In a blog post detailing the DSA compliance steps it's taking, Snap said it will offer users in the EU the option to opt out of personalization in the Discover and Spotlight feeds on Snapchat, in addition to the ability to get more information on how its AI-based content recommender systems works.

As part of our DSA response, all Snapchatters in the EU will now be able to better understand why content is being shown to them and have the ability to opt out of a personalized Discover and Spotlight content experience," it wrote, adding: "We have developed a simple guide to describe how personalization works on Snapchat.

Earlier this year the company hopped aboard the AI chatbot bandwagon by launching an in-app bot that can respond to users’ chats with generative AI responses. We’ve asked Snap whether or not users in the EU will be able to switch this chatbot off as part of its DSA compliance, too. Update: A Snap spokesman confirmed the AI chatbot is opt-in — meaning Snapchat+ subscribers in the EU can already choose not to use it.

Other DSA-related updates Snap confirms in the blog post include the rollout of an ads transparency library for ads targeting users in the EU, which it first announced last month — alongside more explanation for users for why they are seeing any given ad and controls to "limit" personalization of ads shown to them — such as by hiding various types of ads and editing lifestyle interest categories applied to them.

Anyone can search this digital library of adverts shown in the EU and they can see details of paid advertising campaigns such as who paid for the ad, a visual of the creative, campaign length, impressions broken down by EU country and information about the targeting applied," writes of the ads transparency library.

Snap also revealed a new notification and appeal process for content removals – which will roll out eventually to all regions.

"We will now be notifying people with information as to why their account and certain content has been removed and easily allow them to appeal the decision," it writes. "These features will first be available to Snapchatters in the EU before rolling out to our global community over the coming months."

Snap also mentions it's developing an integration to the European Commission's Transparency API which will reportedly deliver "specific information regarding enforcement decisions taken on EU based accounts or content".

Its blog post reiterates other recent changes it's making in relation to advertising which it says will apply for Snapchat users in both the EU and the U.K. — including a ban on personalized advertising to users aged 13-17.

Ad targeting for these teens is being limited to what Snap couches as "basic essential information" — such as language settings, age and location.

While the U.K. is no longer an EU member, which means the DSA does not apply, lawmakers within the country have been turning their attention to online child safety in recent years; they are pushing for adoption of a design code which is aimed at preventing children from being tracked and profiled. Compliance with the design code has been attached to wider U.K. data protection rules which can also come with big fines for violations.