Snapchat Introduces New Safety Features to Protect Teens from Online Harm

By siliconindia  |  Wednesday, 26 June 2024, 16:26 IST

Snapchat Introduces New Safety Features to Protect Teens from Online Harm
Snapchat announced the launch of several new safety features, aimed at protecting teenagers and the broader community from online harm. These enhancements include expanded in-app warnings, improved friending protections, simplified location-sharing settings, and more robust blocking mechanisms.
The new safety measures reflect Snapchat's commitment to creating a secure and positive online environment for its users, particularly young people. “Young people across India love spending time on our platform, and we are dedicated to making it a safe and positive place for everyone, especially teens,” said Uthara Ganesh, Head of Public Policy-South Asia at Snap, in a statement.
Among the newly introduced features, the 'in-app warnings' have been significantly expanded. Teens will now receive alerts if they receive messages from users who have been blocked or reported by others, or if the sender is from a region where the teen’s network typically isn’t located common indicators of potential scammers. This feature will be rolled out in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Nordics, and parts of Europe.
Snapchat has also strengthened its 'friending safeguards' to make it more difficult for strangers to contact teens. Previously, the platform had already restricted teens from appearing in Quick Add or Search results unless they had multiple mutual friends with the other user. The new update prevents the delivery of friend requests altogether if a teen sends or receives a friend request from someone with no mutual connections, especially if that person has a history of using Snapchat in locations often associated with scamming activities. This feature is available in select countries and will be introduced in India in a localized format soon.
In addition to these measures, Snapchat has introduced more frequent reminders for users to review their account security and privacy settings. The platform encourages users to share their location only with friends. The latest update provides regular prompts to ensure Snapchatters are always aware of which friends they’re sharing their location with on the Snap Map.
To address issues of bullying and repeat harassment, Snapchat has enhanced its blocking tools. Blocking a user now extends to blocking new friend requests from any accounts created on the same device. This additional layer of protection aims to limit the ability of blocked users to contact the blocker through new or existing accounts.
These updates are part of Snapchat’s ongoing efforts to enhance user safety and foster a supportive community. By implementing these new features, the platform aims to mitigate risks associated with online interactions and provide a safer digital space for its teen users.

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