Snapchat Will Allow Parents to Request Real-Time Location of Their Teens.
Your location is no longer just a moment in time.
In recent years, Snapchat has evolved from being known for its ephemeral images to becoming a location-based social networking app. This shift is reinforced by the introduction of a new feature that allows family members to share their location in real time. This feature will be launched alongside other location and privacy-related tools in the coming weeks.
Once users update the app, they will find an option in the Family Center that enables parents to request the location of their teenage children and vice versa. This center will also allow parents to review their children's location-sharing settings, along with existing privacy settings, thereby ensuring a safe and responsible use of the app. Additionally, an option to send automatic travel notifications will be enabled, which will alert family members when they arrive or leave three selected places, such as home or school.
However, the introduction of these features comes at a challenging time for Snapchat, due to its recent emergence at the center of a controversy related to privacy and security. An ongoing lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez claims that Snapchat has ignored warnings and evidence indicating that the platform is being used to seek and exploit minors through "sextortion" and "sexual exploitation" tactics. Additionally, other questionable uses are mentioned, such as the sale of illegal weapons and substances, although this is not unique to Snapchat. Torrez has pointed out that the ephemeral nature of "Snaps," which are messages, photos, and videos that are permanently deleted after a while, goes against the overall responsibility to protect its users.
With the introduction of these location-sharing features and the potential dangers they entail, curiosity arises about how Snapchat will address the growing concerns of users while trying to maintain the original spirit of its platform. For now, the company appears to be proceeding cautiously, limiting access to location features only to users who opt in, restricting location sharing to friends and family, and continually reminding users to review their privacy and sharing preferences when adding new people.
