Introduction
Hello Bloggers welcome alltechnology blog. In this blog you will learn Snapchat introduces new safety features to limit bad actors from contacting users. So friends, I have given a lot of information in this blog post, if you liked my information then please let me know.
Snapchat on Tuesday announced a new suite of safety features, including updates to its account blocking functionality and enhanced friending safeguards, making it difficult for strangers to contact users on its platform. The new move comes amid concerns over predators exploiting teens on social media apps, which often results in severe incidents, including sextortion.
One of the latest updates to address such issues is improving Snapchat’s existing user blocking tool. It will block new friend requests from bad actors who were already blocked by the user when they were sent using other accounts created on the same device. This will help further limit outreach from other existing or new accounts created by the blocked account, Snap said in a statement.
Snapchat will also introduce more frequent reminders informing them about which friends they share their location with on the Snap Map. Additionally, Snapchat will gain a simplified location-sharing feature, which will make it easier to customize which friends can see their location. Snap recommends that users only share their live location with family members or close friends.
Alongside the new location-sharing updates, Snapchat is expanding in-app pop-up warnings, first launched in 2023, that appear if they add a friend who doesn’t share mutual friends or is not a part of their contacts. The update will add another pop-up message to warn users if they receive a chat from someone who has been blocked or reported by other users or is from a region where the teen’s friend network is not typically located. This feature will initially be available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nordics and parts of Europe at launch.
Another new friending safeguard will prevent the delivery of friend requests if a teen sends or receives a request from someone they do not share mutual friends with and the person has a history of accessing Snapchat in locations often linked with scams. This is an addition to the earlier feature that restricted teens from getting friend suggestions of an account in Quick Add or Search unless they have multiple mutual connections. The new feature is currently available in a select few countries and will soon be launched in India in a more localized form, the company said.
“Our newest safety features are all about supporting genuine friendships, empowering teens to make smart choices, and ensuring that every Snapchatter feels secure and confident while using our app,” said Uthara Ganesh, Head of Public Policy-South Asia, Snap, in a statement.
Snapchat has been quite popular among teens, with over 20 million using the app in the U.S. alone, per Snap CEO Evan Spiegel during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January. However, the app — alongside other social media platforms — is often criticized for not taking significant steps to safeguard minor users.
In 2022, Snap introduced a Family Center to let parents monitor their teens’ activity on the platform. It was launched in response to the regulatory pressure social networks faced to protect minors. However, Spiegel stated in his comments to Senator Alex Padilla in January that only around 200,000 parents use its parental supervision controls.
Snapchat announces new measures to ensure the safety of kids online
WASHINGTON (7NEWS) — In an era where digital interactions are a part of daily life, ensuring a safe, online environment is paramount, especially for kids. Nona Yadegar, the Director of Design at Snapchat explains how they are taking additional measures to help ensure a safer online experience for younger users.
Snapchat introduces Family Centre tool to boost child safety
ALSO READ: Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts The opt-in tool will require a parent and child’s Snapchat accounts to be friends in order to connect and set up Family Centre, from which parents will also be able to confidentially report any accounts connected with their child that they have concerns about. “Family Centre is designed to reflect the way that parents engage with their teens in the real world, where parents usually know who their teens are friends with and when they are hanging out – but don’t eavesdrop on their private conversations,” Snapchat said in a blog post announcing the tool.
Conclusion
“We also consulted with experts in online safety and wellbeing to incorporate their feedback and insights. Our goal was to create a set of tools designed to reflect the dynamics of real-world relationships and foster collaboration and trust between parents and teens.”