Snapchat expands efforts to protect teens from drug deals on its app – CNET

Snapchat’s logo on a mobile phone. Angela Lang/CNET Snapchat is ramping up its efforts to combat illicit drug deals on its app. Parent company Snap on Tuesday shared an update about its latest efforts to stop the push of narcotics on the platform with a greater focus on teens. Among the changes, Snapchat is updating its Quick Add suggestion feature to reduce interactions between kids and strangers. “In order to be discoverable in Quick Add by someone else, users under 18 will need to have a certain number of friends in common with that person,” the company said in a blog post. Previously, the app would recommend possible friends based on mutual connections, regardless of whether you know the person in real life. Get the CNET Mobile newsletter Find the best phones, apps and accessories with our CNET Mobile newsletter. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additionally, the company is working on new parental tools that will roll out in the upcoming months, enabling parents to monitor some of their teens’ communication habits. Last October, the app faced backlash following an NBC News report that examined the deaths of teens and young adults who were suspected of buying fentanyl-laced drugs through Snapchat. Fentanyl is a synthetic…
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