PARENTS can now see who their kids are chatting with on Snapchat as part of a huge new safety feature.
Approved adults can snoop on who their teens are friends with and which ones they’ve been messaging.
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However, they won’t be able to view the contents of any conversations.
It’s a bold move that could annoy terrible teens who like the secretive nature of the app.
But it’ll be welcome help for worried parents and guardians.
And they won’t even have to grab their kids’ phones each time to use it.
Caregivers aged 25 and over will need to create their own Snapchat account to access the tool, known as Family Center.
Once they’ve linked up with the child, they’ll have a special section within the app where all the details are laid bare.
Grown ups can also secretly report any accounts that may be concerning.
The feature will only work on accounts for 13 to 18-year-olds – so it relies on some age honesty from young users as well.
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These accounts are already subject to stricter rules, such as only being able to message people who they are already friends with.
“Family Center is designed 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,” Snap said.
“Our goal is to help empower parents and teens in a way that still protects a teenager’s autonomy and privacy.”
The firm is planning to add even more safety options, such as an alert for parents whenever their kids add a new friend.
There will also be new content controls for parents and the ability for teens to notify their parents when they report an account or a piece of content.
Family Center is available today in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, within the settings of the app.
It’ll roll out to other countries in the autumn.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
