Snapchat Adds New Safety Measures For Teens

Snapchat has announced they’re adding several new safeguards to help better protect teen users on the app. According to the company, these safety features will make it harder for strangers to contact teens on the app, give teens a more age-appropriate experience and help educate users in the 13- to 17-year-old range.

The changes include:

• In-app warnings that pop up when a teen gets a friend request from someone they don’t already share mutual friends with.
• Stronger friending protections that require teens to have multiple mutual friends in common before showing up in their friend suggestions or online searches.
• A three-part strike system that will immediately take down age-inappropriate content and users can report suspicious content, then repeat offenders’ accounts will be banned.
• New in-app education content that explains specific online risks to minors and includes hotlines for help.
• The company is also adding a Parent’s Guide to Snapchat as well as a YouTube explainer series for families on how Snapchat works and how to use the app’s parental controls.

“We’re really focused here today on making it harder for strangers to talk to teens,” explains Nona Yadegar, director of Design, Strategy and Operations at Snap Inc. “Just like my parents talk[ed] to me about staying safe when going to the mall with friends, it’s really important for parents to talk to their kids about staying safe online and what that means.”

Source: Good Morning America