Snapchat Introduces Safety Measures to Protect Young Users from Online Dangers
Snap Inc., the creator of a popular social media app, announced on Thursday that it will introduce worldwide in-app alerts and additional safety measures to provide increased security for users aged 13 to 17, protecting them from potential online dangers.
Protection measures enable safer communication and search and show age-appropriate content to teenage users.
It will also launch a new Strike System for inappropriate accounts and increase education about common online risks, Snap Inc. said in a statement.
According to Statista, India has the highest number of Snapchat users, and a large proportion of its users are Generation Z, or millennials born after 1996.
An in-app alert feature will send a pop-up warning to a teenage user if someone tries to add them as a friend when they don’t share any common contacts or the person isn’t in their contact list.
The Strike System will remove accounts that market and promote age-inappropriate content based on internal detection or reporting. If an account repeatedly tries to circumvent the rules, it will be banned under the new system and rules.
In addition, Snap brings in-app content developed in partnership with Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) as an important local resource for topics such as mental health, responsible sharing and online safety.
“The latest features are thoughtful in-app features designed to empower young people to make smarter choices and talk openly about staying safe online.
“We are committed to ensuring that Snapchat is a place where you can be creative and stay safe, and above all, the safety and well-being of our Indian community of over 200 million users is our top priority,” said Uthara Ganesh, Head of Public Policy, South Asia, Snap Inc. .
