Snapchat allows parents to limit their teens from using app’s ‘My AI’ chatbot feature
FILE-The Snapchat icon is displayed on a smartphone with in the background Snapchat logo, seen in this photo illustration, on August 20, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo illustration by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Snapchat is improving their services on the app for parents to protect their teens.
The social media company released a new parental control feature that lets parents see their teens' privacy settings while monitoring who their kids are sharing their story with and the friends they're talking to and sharing their locations with.
Parents can also restrict My AI, Snapchat’s AI-powered chatbot, from responding to chats from their teen.
This update also adds on to the current My AI feature, which focuses on protection from inappropriate or harmful responses, usage limitations for people misusing the app, and age-awareness.
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According to Snapchat's website, this new control also expands the Family Center feature launched by the company in 2022, where parents can view friends their teens are communicating with on the app while reporting concerns and seeing parental controls on their profiles.
The new update makes it easier for parents to use their profiles to access Family Center.
These new parental control changes come ahead of Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel testifying with chief executives from Meta, X, TikTok, and Discord at a Jan. 31 Senate hearing on online child sexual exploitation, FOX Business reported.
FOX Business contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.