Snapchat urge parents not to worry about new map feature

Snapchat’s new update came with a feature called ‘Snap Map’ but many parents have been left worried for their children's safety.

In a bid to reduce parents worries a spokesperson for Snapchat has released a statement saying,

“Snapchatters can choose exactly who they want to share their location with, if at all, and can change that setting at any time. It's also not possible to share your location with someone who isn't already your friend on Snapchat, and the majority of interactions on Snapchat take place between close friends.”

According to the Independent, Snapchat is now the most used texting and photo sharing platform among Irish teens and children while being the least used social media service among parents. Ipsos MRBI also states that 26 percent of people over the age of 15 use Snapchat in Ireland with tens of thousands of children under that age using it also.

The first time you enter Snap Map, you choose who to share your location with. We won't show you on the Map before then!

— Snapchat Support (@snapchatsupport) June 23, 2017

Since the new feature arrived, parents have grown increasingly concerned over the fact that children can share their location with anyone they may be ‘friends’ with on the service, paving the way for potential danger. Although Snapchat gives everyone the option to share their location and pictures from that location, once children are aware of any dangers they may face by sharing these details with other users, they do have the option of applying ‘ghost mode’ which means the app disables the function that allows them to share their location. Take note kids, and stay safe.