Snapchat wants to make itself safer for teens
As Instagram and Facebook face increasing scrutiny over how they manage their teenage audience, Snapchat is taking steps to ensure a safer experience for its younger users by working on a suite of family safety tools.
and in to interview This week, CEO Evan Spiegel spoke about his vision to allow parents to stand by their teenage sons while kids are on Snapchat.
One of the product’s goals is to open a dialogue between parents and their children about their experiences via the app, hoping to align with parents at a time when similar platforms are negatively affecting young teens, Spiegel said.
During this interview, Spiegel also mentioned that an internal system of parental control is under development called Family Center.
Although, the company is not ready to share details about the extended parental controls yet. But she said parental tools are meant to give parents better insights to help protect their children in ways that don’t compromise on privacy or data security. They are compliant with the law and offered free of charge to families within the platform.
Last month, the company announced the appointment of a Global Head of Platform Safety, who is responsible for keeping the company’s safety strategy organized and proactive.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said: “Our overall goal is to help educate young people, empower them to make the right choices to enhance their safety, and help parents be partners with their children in navigating the digital world.”
Read also: Snapchat commercial ads affected by Apple changes
Snapchat is building an internal parental control system
There are existing parenting tools within the platform. But it’s not as deep as third-party services like Bark or the systems Apple recently suggested for iMessage.
However, third-party tools currently have limitations across popular devices such as iPhones. Allowing third parties to collect information about teens in the name of children’s safety also sets dangerous precedents for privacy and security.
While parents may find it helpful to have more options to monitor their children. Spiegel says parents should open up conversations about the technology kids use and learn how to navigate these platforms.
Spiegel emphasized the more private nature of the platform as a tool for connecting with friends. He pointed out that user accounts are private by default, which distinguishes it from some of its competitors.
