Snapchat Rolls Out New Safety Features to Protect Users from Unwanted Contact

Snapchat announced on Tuesday a series of new safety features aimed at protecting users, particularly teens, from unwanted contact by bad actors on its platform.

This initiative addresses ongoing concerns about predators exploiting social media apps, leading to serious issues like sextortion.

Among the new updates is an enhancement to Snapchat’s user blocking tool. The improved feature will now block new friend requests sent from previously blocked users, even if they attempt to use different accounts created on the same device. This measure aims to prevent blocked users from bypassing restrictions by creating new accounts.

Additionally, Snapchat is introducing more frequent reminders to users about who can see their location on the Snap Map. The platform will also simplify location-sharing settings, making it easier for users to customize which friends can view their location. Snapchat advises that users share their live location only with close friends or family members for added safety.

The update also includes an expansion of in-app pop-up warnings. First launched in 2023, these warnings appear if users add a friend who does not share mutual friends or is not in their contacts. The new version will add alerts if users receive chats from someone who has been blocked or reported by others, or from a region where the user’s friend network is not typically located. This feature will initially roll out in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Nordics, and parts of Europe.

Another safeguard will prevent the delivery of friend requests if a teen sends or receives a request from someone without mutual friends and who has a history of using Snapchat in locations often associated with scams. This builds on a previous feature that restricted teens from receiving friend suggestions in Quick Add or Search unless they had multiple mutual connections.

This new feature is currently available in select countries and will soon launch in India in a more localized form.

“Our newest safety features are all about supporting genuine friendships, empowering teens to make smart choices, and ensuring that every Snapchatter feels secure and confident while using our app,” said Uthara Ganesh, Head of Public Policy, South Asia, Snap, in a statement.

Snapchat remains highly popular among teens, with over 20 million users in the U.S. alone, according to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January. However, the app has faced criticism, alongside other social media platforms, for not doing enough to protect minor users.

In response to regulatory pressure, Snap introduced a Family Center in 2022, allowing parents to monitor their teens’ activities on the platform. Despite this, Spiegel noted in his comments to Senator Alex Padilla that only around 200,000 parents use these parental supervision controls.

With these new safety features, Snapchat aims to enhance user security and address the challenges of protecting its younger audience in an increasingly digital world.