Snapchat will restrict the “Quick Add” feature on teen profiles as it fights the drug threat on the app

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Snapchat has announced more details and measures as part of its efforts to curb the growing drug threat problem on the platform. These measures aim to curb the fentanyl outbreak, which has become a serious problem in the United States. And messaging apps like Snapchat are an easy way for drug dealers to connect with teens for the sale of these illicit drugs.

Snapchat and other network services have been in the news amid the accidental deaths of several US teenagers from fentanyl-filled pills sold online. These counterfeit pills are reportedly sold on popular social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat.

As part of the new measures, Snapchat will limit its quick add feature to prevent strangers from finding minors on the app and adding them as friends. Profiles of users aged 13-17 will no longer be discovered by someone they don’t know in real life. Snapchat also said it is developing a new set of parental controls, though details of these will be revealed later.

In a blog post, Snap Inc, which is the parent company of Snapchats, said that from now on adults will only see a minor user’s profile on the quick add page if they have a certain number of mutual friends on the app. It should be noted that Snapchat does not allow you to see another user’s friends list before adding them.

Snapchat also said it is actively working to detect and report drug-related activity on the app. They say they have increased their involvement with law enforcement and expanded their law enforcement operations team by 74%. The company added that 88% of all drug-related content is now proactively detected using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), an increase from the last update.

Additionally, Snapchat is working with experts to regularly update the list of jargon and drug-related terms that should be blocked in the app. This is a constant and ongoing effort that not only prevents Snapchatters from getting search results for those terms, but also proactively brings out expert educational resources in our Heads Up tool, the post added.

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