When it comes to identifying and addressing illegal and potentially harmful content, we’ve made steady progress. More than 90% of enforcement actions against the most severe content and behavior (on platform surfaces other than Chat) now leverage our own systems, rather than relying solely on user reports. We also continue to strengthen the measurement, testing, and review processes that help us regularly evaluate and improve these systems.

Our approach combines detection and enforcement now with even more protections built directly into the product experience itself.  For instance, in 2024, we launched in-app warnings that alert teens in real-time when they receive a message from someone with whom they do not share mutual friends, or from a region that is outside their traditional circles—signals that may indicate potential scamming activity. These interventions are designed not only to interrupt risky interactions, but also to help users make safer decisions in the moment. Since launch, we have delivered billions of conversation warnings, resulting in millions of blocks.

We have also developed tools to help parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults support teens’ safety on Snapchat, and one of our most significant milestones was launched in 2022. Family Center provides visibility into whom teens are messaging while respecting the privacy of the teens’ conversations themselves. By showing parents and caregivers who their teens are communicating with—without revealing the content—helps create opportunities for meaningful dialogue about digital safety at home.

Still, safety cannot be fashioned in isolation. We restructured our global Safety Advisory Board (SAB) in 2022 and we are doing so again five years later to help ensure we are receiving rigorous and diverse expert feedback. Eager to harness the all-important youth voice, we launched our teen Council for Digital Well-Being program in early 2024, with an inaugural cohort of 18 teens from 12 U.S. states who helped us to better understand and appreciate the unique challenges facing Generation Z. A year later, we extended to cohorts in Australia and across Europe and the UK before selecting a second U.S. cohort earlier this year. 

Our commitment to data-driven safety is best exemplified by our Digital Well-Being Index (DWBI). This annual research project, now in its fifth and final year, measures the overall online psychological well-being of thousands of teens and young adults across six countries, not specific to any one platform. By sharing these platform-agnostic findings publicly, we aim to provide a “pulse check” for the entire tech ecosystem, highlighting newer risks like potentially harmful AI-generated content and financially motivated sextortion. After we reveal the Year 5 results on Safer Internet Day in February, we plan to evolve this research to examine an emerging aspect of well-being: “mattering” and explore what it means to “matter” to the digital communities in which we belong and participate.

As I look ahead to the next five years, my passion for safety and protecting teens and young people online is undiminished. We know our work may never be done; as long as criminals and bad actors look for ways to exploit technology and harm others, we will be there to build the walls higher and the gates stronger, working to mitigate risk, reduce harm, and prevent recurrence. We remain determined to make Snapchat the safest, most delightful platform for connecting with friends and celebrating the meaningful moments in life. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

– Jacqueline Beauchere, Global Head of Platform Safety, Snap Inc.