Amid international debate about potential age limits for social media use, Snapchat is experimenting with a brand new course of that may allow 16- and 17-year-olds to share their posts with a wider viewers on the app.
Though this won’t be a public posting, eg.
Snapchat already has numerous safeguards in place to restrict publicity for younger customers, together with public posting restrictions on the app. And now, Snap is attempting a brand new approach to give teenagers a approach to share their content material in a safer, extra privacy-focused method.
In response to Snap:
“Knowledgeable by suggestions from our neighborhood, older teenagers will have the ability to submit content material inside their profile on a brand new publicly viewable content material web page that is constructed with considerate safeguards. These capabilities will steadily roll out to our neighborhood.”
So as an alternative of older customers posting publicly, teenage customers could have a brand new, filtered course of that permits wider sharing.
“Now Snapchatters who’re 16+ and need to share their creativity can submit a public story or share a video to Highlight with attribution on their publicly viewable content material web page inside their profile, which has added protections. There, they will save their tales. And Spotlights to show their favourite posts.”
Teen content material will solely be distributed to a restricted viewers of mutual and prolonged connections, whereas teenagers may also be restricted in how non-connected they will have interaction with by way of this course of.
Snapchat additionally notes that it’s going to embrace extra controls over every bit of content material, enabling customers to find out the place every of their Snaps is shared and who can see it.
“On Snapchat, at all times being public or personal is greater than a one-time selection.”
It is a wonderful line, and elevated sharing on this method will give older teenagers extra alternatives for publicity and connection to the app.
Snap has to tread fastidiously right here, although. Final week, the state of New Mexico filed a lawsuit alleging that Snapchat repeatedly failed to guard youngsters from sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and hurt on the app.
Expanded sharing choices might additionally increase the danger profile on this case, and with elevated scrutiny on social apps, Snap wants to verify it is taking a measured method to this new roll out.
However it might additionally open new doorways for older teenage customers, who might make Snap a much bigger a part of their lives. There’s an apparent steadiness to take care of, however Snap appears to have the proper methods in place to increase this ingredient.
