Earlier this year, Snap announced that we would rebuild our Safety Advisory Board (SAB) with the aim of growing and expanding membership to include a diversity of geographies, safety-related disciplines and areas of expertise. In doing so, we launched an application process, inviting experts and individuals from around the world to formally express their interest in providing guidance and direction to Snap on all things safety. 

We received dozens of applications from individuals and experts across the globe that we evaluated via an objective, multistep process, which culminated in executive-level approval of our selection committee’s recommended slate. We thank everyone who applied for their willingness to support and work with Snap on these critical issues, and we are humbled by the outpouring of interest and commitment. 

Today, we are pleased to announce our Advisory Board is growing to 18 members, based in 9 countries and representing 11 different geographies and regions. The new Board is made up of 15 professionals from traditional online safety-focused non-profits and related organisations, as well as technologists, academics, researchers, and survivors of online harms. Members are experts in combating significant online safety risks, like child sexual exploitation and abuse and lethal drugs, and have broad experience across a range of safety-related disciplines. In addition, we will be joined by 3 Board members who are young adults and youth advocates. We selected these applicants to ensure the Board has ready access to the all-important “youth voice” and viewpoint; to make certain a portion of the Board includes committed Snapchat users; and to seek to balance professional views with practical perspectives from a core demographic of the Snapchat community. 

The following individuals comprise Snap’s new Safety Advisory Board:

• Alex Holmes, deputy CEO, The Diana Award, UK

• Amanda Third, professorial research fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University, Australia

• Castra Pierre, young adult, member of USAID’s Digital Youth Council, Haiti 

• Ed Ternan, president, Song for Charlie, U.S. 

• Hany Farid, professor of computer science, University of California, Berkeley, U.S.

• Jacob Sedesse, young adult, student and part-time tech journalist, U.S.

• James Carroll, Jr., former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S.

• Janice Richardson, international advisor on children’s rights and digital citizenship, Insight2Act, based in The Netherlands and focused on Europe and North Africa

• Justine Atlan, director general, eEnfance, France

• Jutta Croll, chair of the board, Stiftung Digitale Chancen (Digital Opportunities Foundation), Germany 

• Lina Nealon, director of corporate and strategic initiatives, National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), U.S. 

• Lucy Thomas, CEO and co-founder, PROJECT ROCKIT, Australia

• Maria Loodberg, expert advisor, Friends/World Anti-Bullying Forum, Sweden

• Michael Rich, paediatrician, founder and director Digital Wellness Lab & Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, U.S.

• Okulaja, rapper, content creator, youth advocate, UK 

• Sudhir Venkatesh, professor, Columbia University, U.S. 

• Victoria Baines, professor of IT, Gresham College, UK

• Yuhyun Park, founder and CEO, DQ Institute, Singapore

“Thanks to technology, we are more connected than ever, and Snap has played a key role in fostering that social interaction,” said Jim Carroll, former White House “Drug Czar” and current principal at Michael Best Advisors. “I am honoured to assist Snap in its work as part of their Advisory Board, working to ensure this ever-evolving digital landscape is a positive and safe place for their global community to continue to grow.”

From Hany Farid, professor of computer science, University of California, Berkeley: “In the U.S., 13 is the average age a child joins social media. It will be another decade before a child’s prefrontal cortex is fully developed. As we do in the offline world, we have a responsibility to protect children participating in this massive online experiment. I am encouraged by how seriously Snap is taking the risks social media poses to children, and I’m excited to join their remarkable team to ensure that their (and everyone’s) services are safe for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.”

“Snapchat is how my teen patients talk to each other; it is their language,” said Michael Rich, paediatrician, founder and director, Digital Wellness Lab & Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. “I am encouraged by Snap’s foresight to seek evidence-based advice on how the physical, mental, and social health of youth are affected in positive and negative ways by how they communicate on visual social media.”

The new Board will meet for the first time this month and then three times in a given calendar year. Our inaugural meeting will include an overview of Snapchat’s new Family Centre, as well as a preview of our contribution to international Safer Internet Day 2023 on 7th February. Board members are not compensated for their time, but Snap does have the ability to support an organisation’s programmes and initiatives that align with Snap’s objectives. 

We want everyone who applied to know that being a part of Snap’s Safety Advisory Board is by no means the only way to engage with us on safety issues. Similar to how we developed our new parent and caregiver tool, Family Centre, we plan to call on our advisory board members, as well as other experts and advocates around the world to share feedback and views on safety-related policies, product features, and other initiatives. We look forward to building on this progress, continuing to foster safety on Snapchat, and supporting teens and young people who want to connect with their friends, create, and have fun!

- Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap Global Head of Platform Safety