Snapchat Inc on Tuesday rolled out its latest feature offering the first parental control tools to its users on the popular messaging platform.
Snapchat’s new child safety features
The new feature will allow parents to see whom their teens are talking to. However, the feature will not allow parents to go through the content of their conversations. The feature comes out at a time when social media companies have been criticized for their lack of protection for kids.
The teens will also get to see if their parents see them via Snapchat. The new feature is called ‘Family Center’. It has been rolled out in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with other countries to follow soon.
Family Center is designed to reflect the way that parents engage with their teens
It is pertinent to note that the ‘Family Center’ feature will only be activated with the consent of teenagers. It let parents and guardians see their kids’ friends list on Snapchat and how much time they spend on the app. Moreover, they will also be able to see the accounts they have been communicating with within the past week. The feature will allow parents to directly report suspicious accounts on the instant mess.
“Family Center 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,” the company said in a statement.
According to Jeremy Voss, Snapchat’s head of messaging products, “It strikes the right approach for enhancing safety and well-being, while still protecting autonomy and privacy.”
Instagram had also launched a similar feature
Instagram allowed parents to view what accounts their teens follow and how much time they spend on the app. Some of the largest tech platforms were called in to testify before Congress after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal documents disclosing how Meta’s platforms can harm young users. Among YouTube and TikTok was a representative from Snap before a Senate committee last October.
At last year’s hearing, Jennifer Stout, Snapchat’s vice president of global public policy, said, “Snapchat was built as an antidote to social media,” distinguishing how Snap is distancing itself from Facebook and other social media platforms.