With approximately 332 million daily active users as of the first quarter of 2022, Snapchat easily ranks among the most popular social networks worldwide. Young people between the ages of 13 and 17 make up about 20% of the Snapchat user base, representing a significant part of their community. Keeping this community safe and healthy therefore means continuously evaluating trust and safety practices with their youngest users in mind.


Social connections and communication online, are just as important as relationships built in person, especially for teenagers. Chatting, exchanging content and just generally being in touch on the internet is a big part of young people's social development today. But an important difference between in-person and digital interactions is that parents are usually aware of their teen's social circle in real life, whereas online this is not always the case.

This is why Snapchat has introduced Family Center, a new, family-centred parental and caregiver tool, designed to reflect the way that parents engage with their teens in the real world. To better understand families' wants and needs Snapchat consulted with parents, and teens and together with digital safety experts developed an in-app tool that incorporates their users' wishes. With Family Center, parents gain a better insight into their teen's media use and can see who they communicate with without interfering with their privacy.

“At its core, Family Center is about offering insight to parents and caregivers as to who their teens are connecting with on Snapchat while preserving teens’ privacy and the specific contents of those conversations,” said Jacqueline Beauchere, Global Head of Platform Safety at Snap. “Unfortunately, online risk can stem from contact with others; so, what better way to help protect against such risk than to spark robust conversations between parents and teens as to who teens are messaging on the app.”

On Family Center, parents can also easily and confidentially report any accounts that may be concerning directly to Snapchat's Trust and Safety teams, which work around the clock to help keep Snapchatters safe. Additionally, the tool equips users with educational resources that can facilitate constructive and open conversations about online safety. The goal is to foster relationships based on collaboration and trust, between parents and teenagers.


Learn more about Snapchat’s new Family Center and all its features here.