Snapchat is a social media platform that allows users to send content to followers that disappear after 24 hours. However, studies, surveys, and lawsuits are coming to light, confronting safety concerns, especially for children who use the app.
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat, owned by the parent company Snap Inc. is a social media app designed for users aged 13+ to share their ‘moment in the moment’ content. The app went live in 2012 and pioneered the ‘disappearing message’ meaning images or videos uploaded to your account will disappear after 24 hours.
What is Snapchat used for?
Snapchat is a social media platform used for people to communicate via photos and videos, known as “Snaps”, which disappear after 24 hours. Users of the app can use filters, stickers or augmented reality screens to creatively share aspects of their daily lives with friends.
The app also has geo-location functionality to find friends and a private messaging function.
Why is Snapchat so popular?
According to Statista, by Q3 in 2014, two years after its release, Snapchat had 62 million downloads. As of Q3 in 2025, snapchat downloads reached 477 million downloads.
When Snapchat launched, other platforms like Facebook and Instagram focused on more static posts. For younger people, the experience felt less dynamic. These platforms also initially lacked audience segmentation features, meaning anything you posted could be seen by everyone.
As a result, Snapchat became an easy way to share content without leaving a trace. This feature was especially appealing to the younger generation at the time, who wanted more privacy in their online activities.
The company made a definitive effort to target a younger market by adding fun and creative filters, geolocation features, and later augmented reality lenses to the app. Coupled with the disappearing messages, it became the go-to app for teens and young adults and continues to be popular.
Why is Snapchat dangerous?
The dangers of Snapchat are similar to those of other social media platforms. However, there are specific attributes of the app that draw concerns:
Type of content
While users do have the opportunity to report content, it is often too late. Due to some of the features of the app, explicit and inappropriate content can easily be seen. The parent company has put restrictions on accounts where users are under 18, but it’s still a risk for every user.
Troubling features
- Discovery tab: This feature makes it easy for users to find content creators that they don’t follow or know. The algorithm recommends content from a wider audience, making it easy to come across explicit videos.
- Disappearing messages: This anonymity makes it difficult to track inappropriate behavior and content sent, viewed, or created by users.
- Snap Map: A geolocation feature makes it easy for users to find their Snapchat follower's location. Without proper vetting of who you’re following, strangers can find you just as easily.
- My AI: Like other AI-powered technology, teens can use this feature to chat or make plans without understanding the implications of data collection.
Illegal selling over the app
Due to the private nature of messaging on the app, people utilize the app to sell illegal products and substances.
In January 2024, a California judge allowed a civil lawsuit against the parent company, Snap Inc., to proceed. The relatives of 60 young people, each of whom died from fentanyl overdoses bought using the app, sought unspecified compensation from the company.
Cyberbullying on Snapchat
The anonymity of a screen can lead to bullying behavior. Cyberbullying is when users mock, spread false information, or manipulate images of others online to humiliate another. A platform like Snapchat that doesn’t keep a record of messages sent or received makes it even harder to track this behaviour.
Cyberbullying is not restricted to social media apps. It’s found in online games, forums, email, and text messages. The consequences of cyberbullying are not just on the victim's mental health but also on their reputation.
Why cyberbullying is so harmful
- Constant - Any digital platform is 24 hours, making bullying behaviour a persistent and continuous.
- Permanent - Information spread because of bullying creates a permanent attachment to the victim online.
- Quiet abuse - Unlike physical bullying, parents or teachers can’t see the cyberbullying, unless children voice their concerns about it.
- Addictive -Social media algorithms keep users engaged, sometimes worsening anxiety.
Examples of cyberbullying on Snapchat
- Screenshotting photos to falsely manipulate and share with others, with the intent to degrade a specific person.
- Spreading false information about a person to damage their reputation.
- Catfishing, aka pretending to be someone else - with intention to exploit another.
- Hate speech directed at someone of a different sexual orientation, religion, or economical background.
- Doxing - aka sharing personal information - with the intention for others to harass the individual via phone, email, or physical location.
The consequences for the victim largely affect their mental health. For young children and teenagers, bullying can transcend into their personal lives through ostracization from friends or groups and an inability to focus on daily tasks.
As cyberbullying becomes more prevalent, lawmakers have introduced more policies to enforce stronger consequences for perpetrators.
Grooming on Snapchat
A study by the BBC shows that Snapchat is the most widely used social media app for online grooming. Grooming is when an adult finds and manipulates a younger person to exploit them. Manipulation tactics include building a relationship with them - which the victim perceives as safe, trustworthy, and an emotional connection. Once groomers have accomplished gaining the individual's trust, they will go on to exploit and or abuse the victim.
Rani Govender, a child safety online policy manager at The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), stated in the study that the problem lies in the design and functionality of the app. As messages disappear after 24 hours, it’s difficult to track inappropriate behaviour - making it an ideal place for groomers.
Paedophiles and groomers operate in any online space, but in some cases, they infiltrate platforms to find potential victims. Once they have established a connection, they’ll encourage users to connect with them on Snapchat to have more private conversations. Due to the app's design, the evidence of these messages will disappear.
Protect Your Children from Unsafe Apps and Content – Ensure Their Safety Online!
Track your children’s whereabouts and device habits, restrict content and balance screen time.
Try Safe Kids for FreeSnapchat safety controls
Snapchat has a dedicated parent hub with resources on how you can keep your children safe. The company has also made modifications to their app to ensure child and teen safety, such as:
- Children no younger than 13 are allowed to use Snapchat
- Not allowing teenagers to have public profiles
- Additional security measures for teen profiles
- Limiting search function of teens’ usernames, only showing to mutual friends
- Initiating the Snapchat Family Center
Snapchat family center
The family center allows parents to see who their children are communicating with, while still respecting their privacy. It’s designed to reflect how the average parent engages with their teenagers in the real world, in that they can see who they’re communicating with - but not the messages.
The Snapchat Family Center also allows parents to:
- Report suspicious accounts anonymously to the trust and safety team at Snapchat.
- See all friends and groups associated with their account.
- Put restrictions on certain content.
- Disable the My AI feature from responding to their child.
- Check their account credentials are correct, such as their birthday date.
How to set parental controls on Snapchat Family Center:
- Family Center is restricted to teens between 13 and 18 years old, with the parent being 25 years or older. To set up your family center, follow these steps:
- Create a Snapchat account
- Create your username
- Add your child as a friend on Snapchat
- Go to your main profile
- Tap Settings, located in the top right corner
- Scroll to the bottom for the Family Center
- Invite your child to join your Family Center
- Once accepted, you can modify the content controls to your specifications
How parents can monitor Snapchat:
While you can’t oversee every action or be in control of other people’s behaviors online, there are a few tips from the company that parents should look out for on their Family Center.
- Only connect with family and friends that you know.
- Usernames should be appropriate and not have identifying attributes like age or location.
- Check that their real age is used on their profile. If over the age of 18, they won’t be able to benefit from the safety protections for underage users.
- Location sharing should be off.
Tips for parents to keep children safe on Snapchat
Despite Snapchat having parental controls, Kaspersky Safe Kids provides additional protection by managing screen time, blocking harmful websites, tracking location, and monitoring app usage – helping parents detect risky online behavior and enforce healthy digital habits. Combining Kaspersky Safe Kids with Snapchat Family Center offers a comprehensive approach to child safety online.
Likewise, communicating clear boundaries with your children is essential. If you decide Snapchat isn’t appropriate for them, take the time to explain why. Teenagers may feel frustrated when denied access to something they want, but honest conversations about online risks can help them understand your reasoning.
Frequently asked questions about Snapchat
Is Snapchat ok for my 13-year-old?
Yes. The minimum joining age for Snapchat is 13. The company understands the dangers faced by many teenagers over the years and has implemented tailored safety protocols for its younger fan base. By utilizing the monitoring features of the Family Center, parents and guardians can monitor their 13-year-old's activity on the app. Consider investing in additional parental control software to broaden the scope of activity you have access to.
What should I do if my child is being cyberbullied?
If your child approaches you with the issue, it’s important to let them talk about it. Collect as much evidence of the harassment as possible. Report the abuse to moderators and support your child through counselling.
Why is Snapchat bad?
Studies show that specific features of Snapchat make it easy for online predators to find or communicate with victims to exploit them. It’s also an easy platform to come across explicit content that’s not suitable for younger users.
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