Snapchat Introduces Enhanced Safety Features to Protect Teens from Online Predators

Snapchat Introduces Enhanced Safety Features to Protect Teens from Online Predators

Snapchat has announced a new suite of safety features aimed at enhancing user protection, particularly for teens, amid growing concerns over online predators and incidents such as sextortion. The updates include improvements to the account blocking functionality, making it difficult for blocked users to contact individuals through new or existing accounts created on the same device.

One significant update is the enhancement of Snapchat’s user blocking tool. It will now block new friend requests from users who have been previously blocked, even if they try to contact the user using other accounts from the same device. This measure aims to further limit unwanted outreach from blocked individuals.

New update on Snapchat location sharing on snap map
Image credit: Webwise website 

Additionally, Snapchat is introducing more frequent reminders about location sharing on the Snap Map and a simplified location-sharing feature, which allows users to customize which friends can see their location. The company advises users to share their live location only with family members or close friends.

The platform will also expand in-app pop-up warnings. Initially launched in 2023, these warnings appear if users add a friend without mutual friends or outside their contacts. The update will add pop-up messages to alert users if they receive chats from blocked or reported individuals or from regions where the user's friend network is not typically located. This feature will be available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nordics, and parts of Europe.

Snapchat new update on friend request 
Image credit: Lifestyle Asia website 

Another new safeguard will prevent friend requests if a teen sends or receives a request from someone without mutual friends and who has a history of accessing Snapchat from locations associated with scams. This complements an earlier feature that restricted friend suggestions to accounts with multiple mutual connections. The new feature is available in select countries and will soon be launched in a localized form in India.

Snapchat's popularity among teens is significant, with over 20 million users in the U.S. alone, according to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January. Despite its popularity, Snapchat and other social media platforms are often criticized for not doing enough to safeguard minor users.

“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.