Snapchat is reinforcing its commitment to safety regulations with the imminent addition of enhanced location-sharing features to its parental controls hub, Family Centre.  

Through Snap Map, family and friends have previously been sharing real-time locations while out and about for some months now. However, the new feature will make the process easier for parents and guardians to keep track of their ward’s location directly within the Family Centre eliminating the need to visit Snap Map or a user’s profile.  

Snap says the feature will work both ways, allowing real-time notifications for up to three prioritised locations on Snap Map. For instance, if the prioritised locations are pegged at school, extracurricular lesson centre,  and church, parents could receive alerts when their children arrive and leave these locations.

Additionally, the update will be accompanied by enhanced settings visibility, enabling parents to see which friends their teen shares their location with on Snap Map. “This will allow parents to see which friends their teen shares their location with on Snap Map, helping families have informed conversations about what sharing choices work best for them,’’ Snap announced on Thursday.

These updates are in continued response to mounting pressure from lawmakers urging social media platforms to enhance safety measures for young users.  

Snap introduced Family Centre in 2022 to give parents insight into their teens’ app usage and has since been updating it with additional features to improve teen safety.