Keeping Children Safe: SnapMaps

Last week SnapChat, used regularly by many children and young people, launched a new feature, SnapMaps, which allows users to see the location of their contacts. This feature allows others to accurately pinpoint where you are.

Sharing location can be a risky thing to do. ChildNet have posted a thorough explanation of SnapMaps and how to ensure users stay safe.

ChildNet’s tips for location sharing are:

• Only share your location with people you know in person. Never share your location with strangers.
• Don’t add contacts to Snapchat if you don’t know them in person.
• Regularly review your settings and take an active decision about whether you want people to know your location. Remember you can switch this off at any time. Think about where you’re sharing your location. Location services such as Snap Maps can lead people to your house. Think about what times you’re on the app and whether these are locations you want to share – if not, then turn this off within your settings.

There are three possible privacy settings:

• Ghost mode, where only you can see your position;
• My Friends mode, where any contact can see your location; and
• Select Friends mode, just those who you choose can see you

We encourage you to visit ChildNet’s website for further information: Introducing SnapMaps (ChildNet)