Snapchat says it wants to better protect underage users of the platform with the introduction of new features. For example, friend suggestions for children aged 13 to 17 are now limited.
Only if someone is already known by several friends, he or she is suggested as a potential friend via the Quick Add function. In this way, the social media platform hopes that users will come into contact with malicious parties less often. For example, according to Snapchat, it concerns adults who try to sell drugs.
It has not yet been announced how many direct contacts someone must already be friends with in order to be included in the suggestions.
Snapchat also wants to give parents more control over who their children interact with through the app. The company states that it will respect the privacy of the users. More information about these functions should become clear in the coming months.
Vulnerable
Snapchat is a popular app among young people in the Netherlands. According to researchers, the app has more than 2.5 million users in our country, the vast majority of whom are younger than 20 years.
“We know that children are vulnerable on the internet,” says GZ psychologist and social media expert Najla Edriouch. In more than a quarter of all abuse cases investigated, the first contact was made via apps such as Snapchat and TikTok. This involved 86 sex offenses in total, the Netherlands Forensic Institute reported last year.
The step Snapchat is taking now can certainly make a difference, according to Edriouch. However, it is difficult to say at the moment, because the details about the new function are still lacking. “Ultimately, people with malicious intent will always find a way. But of course it is good if it is made more difficult for them,” says Edriouch.
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According to her, the move by the American tech company seems to fall within a trend. Both Facebook and Instagram have recently similar changes in the wake of studies showing how big the impact these apps can have on the well-being of especially young users.
Edriouch: “That has made people think and companies are being addressed. You then see that platforms take all kinds of actions to better protect their followers. I think that is also with the following thought in mind: how can we also be parents? make them feel like their child is using a safe platform so they won’t ban it.”
Regardless of the exact motivations of a company, it is especially important that platforms take action, the psychologist believes. She points out that the amount of time young people spend on social media has continued to grow during the pandemic and lockdowns.
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