Avoid Harassment, Snapchat No Longer Allows Third-Party Apps To Send Messages Anonymously

Snap, recently made the decision to prevent bullying and harassment on its social media. (photo: Doc. Snap)

JAKARTA - Snapchat's parent company, Snap, has just taken a decision to prevent bullying and harassment on its social media. Where third-party app users will no longer be able to send messages anonymously.

Snap said that while many people are using features that link third-party apps to Snapchat, they may be taking advantage to engage in malicious behavior without anonymity.

From now on, third-party apps that want to allow people to communicate via Snapchat integration must have a registered user with a visible username and identity.

The changes come after a lawsuit last year seeking to hold Snap accountable for abuse of its platform in connection with the death of a teenager who was bullied on two Snapchat-linked apps.

Launching Engadget, Friday, March 18, third-party apps, Yolo and LMK, both had anonymous messaging features and were suspended by Snap shortly after the lawsuit was filed.

"While we know that most Snapchatters use this anonymous integration in a fun, engaging, and completely appropriate way, we believe some users may be more susceptible to engaging in harmful behavior, such as intimidation or harassment if they are not known," Snap said in a post. the official blog.

Snap also said it would require friends-finding or meeting apps in its developer program to be limited to users aged 18 and over to protect young users.

Of the more than 1,500 developers who have access to Snap Kit, two percent will be affected by this policy. "The change is more consistent with the Snapchat use case, communication between close friends who already know each other," Snap said.