BTSnapchat has unveiled a range of new features designed to protect users from online harms and sextortion attempts. These enhancements include expanded in-app warnings, strengthened friending protections, simplified location-sharing options, and improved blocking capabilities. The latest efforts will also help ensure that Snapchat users can only be messaged by individuals they have added as friends or have added to their phone contacts.
Find out more about the latest updates that have been announced by Snapchat, alongside guidance on Sextortion, reporting harmful content online, and the free resources available from SWGfL to ensure that your Snapchat privacy settings are up to date.
In-App Warnings
One of the key additions to the new updates are expanded in-app warnings. Originally introduced last November, Snapchat implemented warnings to alert teens when they receive messages from people who are not mutual friends or contacts. The warnings are now being upgraded to include new messaging improving preventions against scammers, such as alerts when a message comes from someone who has been reported or blocked by others, or when someone messages from a region outside of the user’s general region.
Friend Request Protections
Snapchat is also enhancing its friending protections to ensure that teenagers will no longer appear in ‘’Quick Add’’ or ‘’Search’’ unless they have multiple mutual friends with the searcher. Additionally, friend requests will be blocked if they come from users without mutual connections and with a history of accessing Snapchat in regions linked to scamming activities. This measure will apply to both sent and received friend requests, making it significantly harder for potential scammers to connect with teens.
Snapchat states that these latest updates ‘continue our work to address a growing trend of sophisticated sextortion scams.’ The announcement also reveals that these updates are part of a wide approach Snapchat is taking to address online harm and sextortion, with Snapchat exploring its work by collaborating with other platforms and conducting research to tackle forms of online harm.
Location Sharing
Simplified location-sharing and additional account security and privacy setting reminders are also being introduced. Snapchat will now send more regular prompts to all users encouraging them to review their account security and privacy settings. Alongside these reminders, users will also receive more frequent reminders to review and update who can see their location.
Alongside this, Snapchat revealed that they are introducing simplified location-sharing options, to help users understand who they are sharing their location with, alongside the options to update and remove their location from the map. Currently, location sharing on Snap Map remains off by default, requiring users to opt-in to share their location, and there is no option to share user locations outside of friends.
Improved Blocking
Lastly, Snapchat is improving its blocking tools to help prevent bullying and harassment across the app. The latest updates to blocking will ensure that when a user is blocked, it will also block any friend requests sent from accounts created on the same device.
Staying Safe on Snapchat
Alongside the latest improvements Snapchat has made to help protect users from sextortion scams and online harms, there are many additional ways to ensure you can stay safe when using the app.
SWGfL provides guidance on ensuring your Snapchat privacy settings are up-to-date with the Snapchat Checklist. The Checklist provides a comprehensive guide for understanding more about Snapchat, including privacy information, age restrictions, blocking and deleting users, alongside managing location settings. Teachers, professionals or parents can download or purchase the checklist to ensure greater protection for the young people in their care.
Support for Sextortion and Harmful Online Content
With cases of sextortion (also known as financially motivated sexual extortion) rising, the UK Safer Internet Centre has prepared guidance and resources that can support schools, parents/carers and professionals with how to respond to incidents. Alongside this, the Revenge Porn Helpline can support all adults (18+) in the UK who have been affected by sextortion or any other form of intimate image abuse.
Sextortion - UK Safer Internet Centre Contact the Revenge Porn Helpline
To provide further protection to adults impacted by intimate image abuse, Snap Inc. (the company behind Snapchat) is a participating partner in the StopNCII.org initiative. StopNCII.org protects adults across the world by preventing their intimate images from being shared across participating platforms. Learn more about StopNCII.org here.
Anyone over 13 and living in the UK who is looking to find out how to make a report or access advice and support about other forms of harmful content on social media platforms, including Snapchat, can contact Report Harmful Content. Alongside this, the Professionals Online Safety Helpline is here to support professionals working with young people about their online safety concerns.
Visit Report Harmful Content Visit the Professionals Online Safety Helpline
