Sextortion scams are almost present in every social media app nowadays. Snapchat aims to safeguard its community, particularly the most vulnerable group, teenagers, from online harm.
The latest updates include expanded in-app warnings, enhanced friending protections, simplified location-sharing, and improved blocking mechanisms, all designed to reinforce genuine friend relationships on the platform.
Enhanced In-App Warnings to Mitigate Risks
In November 2023, Snapchat introduced a pop-up warning for teens when they receive messages from individuals they don't share mutual friends with or have in their contacts. This feature has empowered millions of Snapchat users to take action, resulting in over 12 million blocks.
Now, Snapchat is expanding these warnings to incorporate advanced signals. In its recent post, Snap says that teens will receive alerts if they get messages from someone who has been blocked or reported by others, or from a region unfamiliar to the teen's network. These signals are intended to help users identify potential scammers and make informed decisions about their interactions.
"These features were designed to better protect teens from potential online harms and to enhance the real-friend connections that make Snapchat so unique," Snap's Global Head of Platform Safety Jacqueline Beauchere told CNN.
Strengthened Friending Protections
Snapchat has always required users to proactively choose their contacts, making it difficult for strangers to reach them.
Building on this, Snapchat is now implementing additional friending safeguards. Teens will not be suggested in Quick Add or Search unless they have multiple mutual connections with the requester. Furthermore, friend requests will be blocked if the sender has a history of accessing Snapchat in locations commonly associated with scamming activities.
These updates are part of Snapchat's ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated sextortion scams, often perpetrated by financially motivated bad actors outside the U.S.
Simplified Location-Sharing for Better Privacy
Snapchatters, including teens, regularly receive reminders to check their account security and privacy settings. With this, the app is introducing more frequent reminders to ensure users are always aware of which friends they're sharing their location with on the Snap Map.
Simplified location-sharing features will allow users to easily customize which friends can see their location. Snapchatters will have a single destination to view, update, and manage their location settings, ensuring they can control their visibility with ease.
Location sharing on the Snap Map is off by default, requiring users to opt in to share their whereabouts. Additionally, Snapchatters can only share their location with existing friends, preventing broader community access.
Improved Blocking Features to Prevent Harassment
Snapchat has long offered tools for users to block unwanted contacts. However, some bad actors create new accounts to bypass these blocks. To combat this, Snapchat is enhancing its blocking tools.
Now, blocking a user will also block new friend requests from any accounts created on the same device. This measure aims to prevent bullying and repeat harassment, ensuring a safer environment for all users.
Commitment to Community Safety
These new tools build on Snapchat's ongoing commitment to helping users communicate with their close friends in a safe, private, and supportive environment.
Previously, Snapchat brought Parental Content controls to protect minors from seeing inappropriate content online.
