Snapchat launches safety feature to give parents limited access to children's accounts

Snapchat is launching a new feature which will give parents some access into their children’s activities on the platform. It requires the child’s account to agree to link up with an account belonging to someone over 25, but the Family Centre tool will show parents their child’s friends list and when they last spoke to each friend within the last week. The tool will not reveal the actual conversations, explained Snapchat’s head of global platform safety Jacqueline Beauchere, who told Sky News the point is “insight” rather than “oversight”.The idea is to reflect “the way that parents engage with their teens in the real world, where parents usually know who their teens are friends with and when they are hanging out – but don’t eavesdrop on their private conversations”.”Family Centre is about sparking meaningful, constructive conversations between parents and teens about staying safe online,” added Ms Beauchere. “We hope that these features empower both parents and teens, by offering parents those critical insights into who their teens are connecting with on Snapchat, and at the same time safeguarding teens’ needs for privacy and their growing independence.” The company said the product was informed by a study it did with more…
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