Snapchat, one of the most popular instant messaging applications in the world, has 750 million monthly active users. Some people were complaining about the “Quick Add” section on Snapchat and people they don’t know adding themselves. Addressing this situation especially for young people under a certain age, Snapchat decided to impose some restrictions on the subject.
What restrictions has Snapchat introduced?
Snapchat is adding new features to its app to discourage teens from interacting with strangers. The changes came after years of scrutiny on the app as lawmakers and other officials questioned Snap’s ability to keep teens safe. As with previous updates, the new restrictions primarily affect accounts of 13-17 year olds on the app.
Last year, the company began limiting the visibility of teen accounts with “Quick Add” recommendations to limit the ability of strangers to find teens on the app. Now, the company says it will make it more difficult for teens to search and make recommendations by increasing the number of mutual friends users must have to appear in searches and suggested accounts.
Also, where teens can connect with people who don’t have many mutual friends, Snap will raise alerts that encourage users to only interact with people they know. The warning will also be accompanied by the option to block or report the user in question.
The company is also introducing a new strike system for accounts that post “age-inappropriate content” in public parts of the app, such as Stories and Spotlight. According to the new system, the app will remove posts it considers not age-appropriate and will give a warning to the offending account. According to the company, users who receive too many strikes within a certain period of time will have their accounts permanently disabled.
Snapchat has also released a new section on its website aimed at parents with potential concerns about their teen’s use of Snapchat. The site offers a variety of explanations about the app, including guides on how to use the parental control features.
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