Snapchat Enhances Location Sharing for Parents

Snapchat is enhancing its parental control features with new location-sharing tools aimed at improving teen safety. The updates, part of the Family Center, allow parents to request their children's real-time locations and receive notifications when they arrive at or leave designated places, such as home or school. Additionally, parents can now view which friends their teens share their location with, addressing safety concerns related to potential exploitation. These features come amidst scrutiny over the app's role in safety issues, particularly allegations of enabling connections between teens and predators. Snapchat is also promoting privacy by keeping location settings off by default and only allowing sharing with accepted friends. The rollout of these features is set to take place over the coming weeks, reflecting Snapchat's ongoing efforts to balance user safety with its location-oriented identity.