Snapchat just rolled out a new series of safety features including a list of updates added to its account-blocking endeavor and better safeguards while adding friends online.
The company mentioned how the whole idea was linked to making it so much harder for strangers to get into contact with users across the app. The latest decision comes amid a lot of concern regarding predators exploiting teenagers across social media resulting in major incidents such as sextortion.
One of the newest updates on this front has to do with addressing matters linked to bettering the app’s current blocking tool that’s in use right now. It is designed to block friend requests sent from threat actors who were initially blocked by the user at the start when sent through accounts made on similar devices.
The app also hopes to roll out frequent reminders having to do with friends who share locations through the app’s Snap Map. Furthermore, the platform would gain more features designed to share locations with ease making it easier for customization so that only their close contacts could see the location.
The app recommends users share live location details only with close pals or loved ones as a safeguard.
Other than the usual location-sharing changes, the app hopes to expand in-app warnings that pop up. This feature was first launched in the year 2023 and appears when a friend is included who does not share similar contacts or isn’t on the user’s contact list.
The new update is going to add more pop-up alerts that serve as warnings if they don’t receive chats from anyone that’s blocked or reported by others or is from a certain place where the teenager’s friend network isn’t present usually.
The rollout will be up for grabs for those in the US, Canada, UK, Nordics, Australia, and New Zealand, amongst other states in the EU.
Other features worth mentioning include a new safeguard that helps users make friends safely. This stops friend requests from being sent if a teenage user gets or sends a request from a person they have zero people in common with or if the user is tagged dubious for accessing the app’s locations that are linked to scams.
This seems to be an addition to the one from the past that stopped teenagers from getting friend suggestions of accounts located in Quick Add or on Search unless there are multiple mutual connections.
The latest feature is up for grabs in a few nations and will be rolled out in India in a more localized form as mentioned by the firm recently.
The company’s head of public policy in the region added how the latest safety features are designed to show support for genuine connections, empower teenagers to make smarter decisions, and also make sure each Snapchatter feels safe and confident when making use of this platform.
The app is very popular amongst the teenage population and has more than 20 million users in the US alone. But this platform amongst others is usually criticized for not taking the right measures to safeguard minors.
Two years back, we saw the app roll out a new feature dubbed Family Center where parents could monitor the activity of teenagers on the app. This was supposed to be a response to the constant pressure arising from social networks that help protect minors.
Still, a majority of parents were glad that some steps were being taken in the right direction to ensure minors were safe at all times.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Google Search Reverts to Pagination on Desktop
The company mentioned how the whole idea was linked to making it so much harder for strangers to get into contact with users across the app. The latest decision comes amid a lot of concern regarding predators exploiting teenagers across social media resulting in major incidents such as sextortion.
One of the newest updates on this front has to do with addressing matters linked to bettering the app’s current blocking tool that’s in use right now. It is designed to block friend requests sent from threat actors who were initially blocked by the user at the start when sent through accounts made on similar devices.
The app also hopes to roll out frequent reminders having to do with friends who share locations through the app’s Snap Map. Furthermore, the platform would gain more features designed to share locations with ease making it easier for customization so that only their close contacts could see the location.
The app recommends users share live location details only with close pals or loved ones as a safeguard.
Other than the usual location-sharing changes, the app hopes to expand in-app warnings that pop up. This feature was first launched in the year 2023 and appears when a friend is included who does not share similar contacts or isn’t on the user’s contact list.
The new update is going to add more pop-up alerts that serve as warnings if they don’t receive chats from anyone that’s blocked or reported by others or is from a certain place where the teenager’s friend network isn’t present usually.
The rollout will be up for grabs for those in the US, Canada, UK, Nordics, Australia, and New Zealand, amongst other states in the EU.
Other features worth mentioning include a new safeguard that helps users make friends safely. This stops friend requests from being sent if a teenage user gets or sends a request from a person they have zero people in common with or if the user is tagged dubious for accessing the app’s locations that are linked to scams.
This seems to be an addition to the one from the past that stopped teenagers from getting friend suggestions of accounts located in Quick Add or on Search unless there are multiple mutual connections.
The latest feature is up for grabs in a few nations and will be rolled out in India in a more localized form as mentioned by the firm recently.
The company’s head of public policy in the region added how the latest safety features are designed to show support for genuine connections, empower teenagers to make smarter decisions, and also make sure each Snapchatter feels safe and confident when making use of this platform.
The app is very popular amongst the teenage population and has more than 20 million users in the US alone. But this platform amongst others is usually criticized for not taking the right measures to safeguard minors.
Two years back, we saw the app roll out a new feature dubbed Family Center where parents could monitor the activity of teenagers on the app. This was supposed to be a response to the constant pressure arising from social networks that help protect minors.
Still, a majority of parents were glad that some steps were being taken in the right direction to ensure minors were safe at all times.
Read next: Google Search Reverts to Pagination on Desktop
