Lifestyle, News

New Snapchat ‘Snap Map’ feature causes concern

0 191

Humanity Hallows Issue 6 Out Now
Pick up your copy on campus or read online


By Hassan Irshad


Last week, a new feature on Snapchat called the ‘Snap Map’ was introduced on its website as ‘a whole new way to explore the world’. The feature allows users to share their location on an interactive map, appearing as their Bitmoji avatar or, in the case that they have not created one, simply as a coloured silhouette.

The map location system gives the precise location of the user, down to their exact whereabouts on a street, and has  naturally raised some concerns among users and, in particular, their parents. As reported by the Independent, people are alarmed that the feature “could expose children to potential predators.”

However, as explained in a piece by Refinery29, ‘Ghost Mode’ is an option, whereby your location is not shown, and the user can also decide who is able to see their location via a setting on the app. Additionally, the prime feature of the map is not always the location of your friends. As Jack Brody, a product designer at Snap, explains in the article: “This map isn’t about where am I, it’s about where are my friends and what are they up to? It’s not about figuring out how to get to your destination, but about discovering where you want to go.”

About the author / 

Humanity Hallows

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • A Mural for Mani – Manchester music legend to be immortalised with mural in his hometown

    Following the passing of iconic Stone Roses and Primal Scream Bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mountfield, there have been growing calls for him to be immortalised in a way that reflects both his cultural impact and the deep affection shared between the musician and his home city. GRIT Studios has answered the calls from fans, announcing plans…

  • London Fashion Week A/W 2026: The new designers shaping tomorrow

    Featured image: Evie Peattie  Often overshadowed in popular narratives by the heritage houses of Paris or Milan, London’s fashion ecosystem has long traded on creative freedom. As London Fashion Week prepares for its 42nd year, running from the 19 to 23 February, the British capital is poised to reaffirm its reputation not simply as a…

  • “It’s easy to lose yourself to this music”: Deptford Northern Soul club lead new wave of Northern Soul

    Featured image: Sebastian Garraway Beats vibrate through a polished floor. Bodies move with a swinging grace, surrendering to the rhythm without hesitation. An instinctual sliding jig sways wide-legged jeans cut just above the ankle. Sweat drips from sharp scissor-cut hairstyles onto porous Fred Perry polos. You’ve guessed it: Northern Soul. The late 1960s phenomenon is…

  • Harry is Home: From the BRITs to a Manchester one-night-only show – everything to know about Harry Styles’ return

    Featured image: Evangeline Causton  Local lad Harry Styles will take to the stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live for the city’s first-ever Brit Awards, before returning for his one-night-only show on March 6 to celebrate the arrival of his fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. When cryptic billboards bearing the words “WE BELONG TOGETHER” appeared across Manchester city…