Snapchat Family Safety Tools: Protecting Minors Online

Snapchat to Introduce Family Engagement Tools

In response to initiatives from leading technology companies aimed at enhancing the safety of young users, Snapchat is preparing to launch a suite of “family engagement” tools in the coming months. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel revealed plans for this offering during the WSJ Tech Live conference, describing it as a family center designed to provide parents with increased insight into their teens’ app usage and enhanced privacy controls.

Snapchat’s Existing Privacy Focus

Spiegel highlighted Snapchat’s inherently private nature as a platform for communication with close friends. He noted that Snapchat user profiles are already private by default, a feature that sets it apart from certain social media competitors until recently.

Commitment to User Safety

“We believe the service’s fundamental design fosters a secure experience for all users, regardless of age,” Spiegel stated. “However, we do not market our service to individuals under the age of 13.” He further explained that Snap is actively developing new features to provide parents with greater peace of mind.

The New Family Center

“While we haven’t yet finalized the product’s name, we are creating a family center that will allow young people and their parents to utilize Snapchat together,” Spiegel explained. This new product will offer parents greater visibility into their teenagers’ interactions and privacy settings on the platform.

Facilitating Open Communication

“This initiative aims to encourage conversations between young people and their parents regarding their experiences on our service,” Spiegel added. Such discussions can be valuable learning opportunities for both parties, enabling parents to guide their teens through the challenges of social media, including navigating uncomfortable or potentially harmful situations.

Responding to Parental Concerns

Snapchat previously announced plans for such features in June, following advocacy from parents who had lost a son to a drug overdose. These parents urged the company to collaborate with third-party parental control software applications. Snap responded by stating its caution regarding sharing private user data and its intention to develop its own parental controls as a solution. (The company has recently released tools to combat illicit drug sales on Snapchat, addressing this specific concern.)

Combined Educational and Control Tools

A Snap spokesperson confirmed that the new family engagement tools will incorporate both educational resources and tools for parental use, following Spiegel’s remarks at the WSJ event.

Empowering Families Online

“Our primary objective is to educate and empower young people to make responsible choices for their online safety, and to support parents in partnering with their children as they navigate the digital world,” the spokesperson stated. “We are committed to developing products and features that reflect natural human interactions and relationships. The parental tools we are creating will provide parents with valuable insights to protect their children, while respecting their privacy, adhering to legal requirements, and being offered free of charge within Snapchat.”

Future Details to be Announced

The company anticipates sharing more specific details about the family tools in the near future.

New Leadership in Platform Safety

The development of these parental controls will fall under the direction of Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap’s newly appointed global head of Platform Safety. Beauchere joins Snap from Microsoft, where she previously served as chief online safety officer.

Increased Regulatory Scrutiny

Beauchere’s appointment coincides with a period of heightened regulatory scrutiny of social media companies and the broader technology industry.

Proactive Approach to Regulation

As U.S. lawmakers contemplate legislation requiring tech companies to implement stronger safeguards for minors, many companies are proactively adopting their own interpretations of these potential rules.

Industry-Wide Implementation of Controls

Numerous leading tech platforms popular with teenagers have already implemented parental controls or adjusted their default privacy settings, or both.

Examples from Other Platforms

TikTok, following a substantial FTC fine for children’s privacy violations, pioneered the introduction of its “Family Safety Mode” in 2020, making it globally available in spring of that year. At the beginning of 2023, TikTok announced changes to the privacy settings and defaults for all users under 18. Instagram followed in March with new teen safety tools and subsequently modified its default settings for minors and restricted ad targeting. Google launched new parental controls on YouTube in February and expanded minor protections across Search, YouTube, and other platforms in August, including enhanced privacy settings and limited ad targeting.

Snapchat’s Position and Reach

Despite consistently emphasizing its popularity among younger demographics – currently reaching 90% of 13- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. – Snap had not yet implemented similar measures.

Openness to Legal Frameworks

The company, however, remains receptive to the possibility of additional legal requirements concerning the protection of minors.

Balancing Regulation and Responsibility

Spiegel, echoing sentiments from other tech executives, acknowledged the potential necessity of some regulation. However, he cautioned that regulation alone is insufficient. “Regulation is not a replacement for moral responsibility and business practices that prioritize the health and well-being of your community,” he stated. “Regulation often lags behind. Businesses must proactively promote the health and well-being of their users; otherwise, regulators will always be playing catch-up.”