As soon as recognized just for its self-destructing pics, lately Snapchat has sneakily developed right into a location-oriented social media app. It’s now leaning additional than ever into that identification with a brand new real-time location sharing function that enables relations to share their dwell places with one another. The function will roll out alongside different new location and privateness instruments within the coming weeks.
After you have the replace, you’ll see an choice within the Household Middle that lets mother and father request their teen’s places, and vice versa. The hub may also permit mother and father to view their youngster’s location-sharing settings alongside current privateness settings to make sure they’re utilizing the app safely and responsibly. If that’s not sufficient, Snap is permitting relations to ship automated journey notifications, which is able to ping them while you’ve arrived to or left from three designated places, akin to dwelling or faculty.
The timing of of those options’ arrival feels a bit unlucky for Snap, contemplating its app’s controversial look within the information of late associated to privateness and security considerations. An ongoing lawsuit from New Mexico’s legal professional normal Raúl Torrez alleges that Snapchat knowingly ignored warnings and proof that the platform is getting used to focus on and exploit minors with soliciting ways for “sextortion” and “sexploitation” actions.
It additionally calls out different questionable makes use of akin to gross sales of unlawful weaponry and substances, although that’s hardly unique to Snapchat. Torrez cited the fleeting nature of the platform’s “Snaps” — non permanent messages, images, and movies which might be completely erased after a set time — as a function that immediately conflicts with the final accountability to maintain its customers protected.
With the added potential risks posed by location sharing, we’re naturally curious to learn the way Snap plans to assuage mounting fears whereas sustaining the unique spirit of its platform. For now, it’s toeing the road rigorously by making location options accessible solely by opting in, limiting location sharing strictly to family and friends, and continually reminding customers to overview their privateness and sharing preferences at any time when they add somebody new.