Snapchat Puts Family On The Map With New Real-Time Locator

Snap Inc‘s SNAP Snapchat is introducing a new real-time location sharing feature designed for family members, allowing users to share their live locations with others.

The update will roll out in the coming weeks, alongside new privacy and location tools. This feature is aimed at improving user safety, especially for parents tracking their teens' whereabouts, the company announced.

See Also: Snap Touts New Ad Formats And ‘Simple Snapchat’ — 10M Users Trial Growth-Driving Feature

Once available, the Family Center will include an option for parents to request their child’s location, and vice versa. The platform will also allow users to view and adjust location-sharing settings, alongside other privacy controls.

Additionally, Snapchat will enable automatic travel notifications, alerting family members when someone arrives at or leaves specific locations, such as home or school.

Snapchat’s Privacy And Safety Concerns

While the new features have practical uses, their timing has sparked debate. According to The Verge, the app is currently involved in a lawsuit filed by New Mexico’s attorney general, Raúl Torrez, who claims Snapchat failed to act on warnings about the platform being used to target minors for "sextortion" and other forms of exploitation.

Torrez has also criticized the app's design, which automatically deletes messages, photos, and videos after a set time, arguing that it complicates efforts to keep users safe.

The company's decision to roll out location sharing in the midst of these legal challenges may lead to additional scrutiny, especially as it relates to the platform's ability to protect its users' privacy.

In response to these concerns, Snapchat is making location-sharing an opt-in feature, available only to friends and family. Users will also receive prompts to review their privacy settings when adding new connections.

Read Next:

• Instagram Is Working On A Snapchat-like ‘Friends Map’ Feature: Here’s How It Works

Photo: Diego Thomazini/Shutterstock.com