Snapchat is intensifying efforts to safeguard teenagers from the threat of sextortion with new safety measures, unveiled Tuesday.
Among these updates are enhanced warning messages that alert teens when they receive messages from unfamiliar contacts or those reported for suspicious activity.
These alerts will also notify users if a chat comes from someone blocked or from a region outside their usual contacts, potentially indicating a scammer.
In a statement to the media, Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap’s Global Head of Platform Safety, emphasized that these features are designed to protect teens from online risks, particularly the growing threat of financial sextortion.
This type of exploitation involves coercing young users into sending explicit photos and then extorting them for money to prevent the images from being shared.
To combat such scams, Snapchat will now restrict friend requests between teens and accounts lacking mutual friends or located in high-risk regions.
Additionally, the app’s blocking tools have been strengthened to prevent blocked users from creating new accounts to evade restrictions.
Snapchat’s updates also include more frequent reminders for all users, including teens, about their Snap Map location settings, allowing them to manage who sees their location in real-time.
These efforts complement existing safety features like the “Family Center,” which lets parents monitor their 13- to 17-year-old children’s activities on the platform.
The move by Snapchat aligns with broader industry efforts to protect young users from online exploitation, a concern highlighted in recent Senate hearings where social media leaders discussed their strategies for ensuring platform safety.
Source-CNN
