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Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

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3 years ago

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  • Parental control tool will let parents see who their teens are talking to, but not substance of their conversations.
  • Feature is launching at time when social media companies have been criticised over lack protection for kids.
  • Parents can also confidentially report any concerning accounts.

Snap, owner of the popular messaging app Snapchat, rolled out its first parental control tools on Tuesday, which will allow parents to see who their teens are talking to, but not the substance of their conversations.

The new feature called Family Centre is launching at a time when social media companies have been criticised over a lack protection for kids. In October, Snap and its tech peers TikTok and YouTube testified before US lawmakers accusing the companies of exposing young users to bullying or steering them toward harmful content. 

Instagram also testified in a Senate hearing in December over children’s online safety, after a Facebook whistleblower leaked internal documents that she said showed the app harmed some teens’ mental health and body image. 

Parents can invite their teens to join Family Centre on Snapchat, and once the teens consent, parents will be able to view their kids’ friends list and who they have messaged on the app in the past seven days. They can also confidentially report any concerning accounts.

However, parents will not be able to see private content or messages sent to and from their teens, said Jeremy Voss, Snap’s head of messaging products, in an interview.

“It strikes the right approach for enhancing safety and well-being, while still protecting autonomy and privacy,” he said.

Snap said it plans to launch additional features in the coming months, including notifications to parents when their teen reports abuse from a user.

Prior to Family Centre, Snap already had some teen protection policies in place. By default, profiles for Snapchat users under 18 are private, and they only show up as a suggested friend in search results when they have friends in common with another user. Users must be at least 13 years old to sign up.

Snap’s new tools follow a similar move by Instagram, which launched its Family Centre in March, allowing parents to view what accounts their teens follow and how much time they spend on the app.

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Today marks the launch of a digital youth hub that will assist in the development of young people and help them find employment.

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1 day ago

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The Digital Youth Hub Program, spearheaded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is being introduced today in Islamabad with the goal of revolutionizing the information technology industry.
The youth will benefit greatly from this action made under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program.
Through the same site, youth will have access to all opportunities for skill development, employment, and scholarships.
The loan scheme for businesses will also offer loans to young people. The Digital Youth Hub also offers loans to young people who are traveling overseas.
The Digital Youth Hub also offers interest-free financing and easy installment plans for the Laptop for All Scheme.

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A digital skills initiative has been established to empower women in rural Punjab.

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2 days ago

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The Punjab government has launched a significant digital empowerment effort led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, intending to provide IT and digital skills to 27,000 rural women.

As part of the programme, women will receive scholarships during training and be provided desktop computers and free Wi-Fi devices upon completion.

The Punjab Skills Development Department (PSDF) will administer a six-month online training program, enabling women to apply remotely through the official website.

The curriculum encompasses information technology, web development, programming, digital marketing, e-commerce, social media management, graphic design, freelancing, data entry, office automation, and cybersecurity. Participants will receive certifications and job placement support after training.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz highlighted that women will be able to start freelancing, launch tech firms, or run online businesses from home, eliminating barriers to employment.

She underscored that digital training will facilitate economic empowerment, enabling women to participate in the global IT market and contribute to Punjab’s digital transformation.

The initiative aligns with broader goals of education, gender equality, and reducing economic disparities, positioning rural women as key players in the province’s digital transformation.

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A significant update on the restoration of social networking platform X in Pakistan

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3 days ago

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Since the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the platform’s international management have not been able to come to an agreement, it is unlikely that social media network X will be restored in Pakistan right away.

Sources claim that PTA has chosen not to restore the service on its own without specific orders from the government or the courts.

Despite numerous correspondences, PTA officials told SAMAA that X had not complied with local rules or registered in Pakistan. A settlement is not possible, according to the regulatory body, because the platform’s policies are in violation of Pakistani laws.

PTA also said that the platform was shut on February 17, 2024, in response to orders from the Ministry of Interior, which raised concerns about unlawful content on the internet. No official appeal for service restoration was filed, and X did not comply with repeated demands to restrict or remove such content.

PTA further explained that the Ministry of Interior has not given any directives for X’s reinstatement, which has increased doubts about if or when the platform would be available in Pakistan once more.

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