Snapchat, one of the world’s most popular instant messaging applications, has 750 million monthly active users. Some users had complaints about the “Quick Add” section on Snapchat and strangers adding them as friends. Snapchat, particularly addressing this issue for young users below a certain age, has decided to implement some restrictions on this matter.
What restrictions have been increased on Snapchat?
Snapchat is adding new features to its app aimed at discouraging young users from interacting with strangers. These changes come after years of scrutiny in the app due to concerns raised by lawmakers and other officials about Snap’s ability to keep young users safe. Like previous updates, the new restrictions primarily impact accounts of individuals aged 13-17 within the app.
Last year, the company began limiting the visibility of young users’ accounts with “Quick Add” suggestions to restrict strangers from finding minors on the app. Now, the company says it will make it even more challenging for young users to appear in searches and recommended accounts by increasing the number of mutual friends a user must have to appear in these features.
Additionally, in cases where young users can connect with people who have very few mutual friends, Snapchat will display warnings that encourage users to interact only with people they know. The warning will also include options to block or report the user in question.
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The company is also introducing a new warning system for accounts that share “inappropriate content for their age” in public sections of the app, such as Stories and Spotlight. Under this new system, the app will remove posts it deems inappropriate for the user’s age and issue a warning to the offending account. According to the company, users who receive a significant number of warnings within a specific period will have their accounts permanently disabled.
Snapchat has also launched a new section on its website aimed at parents who may have concerns about their children’s use of Snapchat. The site provides various explanations about the app, including guides on how to use parental control features.
