Snapchat‘s parent company, Snap Inc., has indicated it is open to imposing time limits on teenage users as the social media world continues to be under pressure to enhance online safety.
Letting teens spend less time on Snap may help set a precedent for better industry standards, said Evan Spiegel, Snap CEO. But the company hasn’t disclosed when it will make such a change.
The comments came after several changes announced by Meta, a company that reached a big agreement with the United States to allow for more stringent measures for teen users. The measures comprise daily time limits, fewer notifications during school hours and fewer at night.
Parental control features have already been built into Snap, in its Family Centre, which lets parents keep track of some of their teens’ Snapchat activity. The company is looking into ways in which it could help make the online world safer for young people, Spiegel said.
Other platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are also under a microscope when it comes to the effects of social media on teens.
Snap Develops New Smart Glasses
Snap is also preparing to launch its latest smart glasses, called Specs. The glasses are equipped with artificial intelligence technology that offers information and recommendations according to users’ activities and preferences.
The device is designed to bring together the aspects of the virtual reality headset and the lighter design of smart glasses. It can show on-screen data within the users’ environment, without being particularly heavy.
The initial specs will be for techies, developers and businesses, and the high price will be for early adopters.
Additionally, Snap has emphasised privacy capabilities on the glasses. They are not using facial recognition to identify people, and a visible light means that the camera is on or taking a picture.
The new pair of glasses is part of a larger trend as more and more companies look at smart glasses as a replacement for the phone and other VR devices as competition in the AI-powered wearable tech market heats up.
