Snapchat open to daily time limits for teenagers, CEO tells BBC
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel says the company is willing to consider a default limit, but has announced no policy or implementation timeline.
Snapchat is open to introducing a default daily time limit for teenage users, CEO Evan Spiegel has told the BBC, as pressure grows on social media companies to adopt stronger safeguards for young people.
Spiegel said Snap had discussed the proposal internally and was “willing to implement” it. He described a maximum amount of time young users could spend on the app as “an important step forward for the industry”, but did not say when any change might begin.
The comments followed Meta’s reported agreement to introduce a two-hour daily default limit for teenagers on Facebook and Instagram. The measures form part of a legal settlement with US states that also includes muted notifications during school hours, overnight blocks and other restrictions.
Meta has been urging other platforms to adopt similar changes. It has also said it would introduce stricter time limits and pay an additional $5.3 billion if YouTube and TikTok follow suit, according to the BBC report. Meta denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Snapchat’s Family Center already gives parents visibility into aspects of how their teenagers use the platform. However, the company has not committed to a daily limit, and the design, scope and enforceability of any future measure remain unclear.
