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SnapChat launches tools for pa...Parents can now invite their teens to join Family Center on Snapchat
Snap Inc.'s popular messaging app Snapchat, introduced its first parental control tools. These tools will now allow parents to see who their children are talking to, but the substance of their conversation will remain private. The new feature is called Family Center and is launching at a time when social media companies are facing flak for their lack of safety measures. Earlier, in October, Snap and its tech peers YouTube and TikTok testified before U.S. lawmakers, who accused the companies of exposing young users to bullying or steering them toward harmful content.
Parents can now invite their teens to join Family Center on Snapchat, and once the teen consent; parents will be able to view their kids' friends list and who they have messaged on the app in the past seven days. They can also confidentially report any concerning accounts. However, parents will not be able to see private content or messages sent to and from their teens, said Jeremy Voss, Snap's head of messaging products, in an interview. “It strikes the right approach for enhancing safety and well-being while still protecting autonomy and privacy," he said. Snap said it plans to launch additional features in the coming months, including notifications to parents when their teen reports abuse from a user.