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Snapchat to give parents, caregivers more oversight with new child safety features

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Snapchat is one step closer to making the app safer for younger ages. New features will allow parents to have more oversight into who their child is contacting.

Starting this fall, parents will be able to have an inside look into their child's account through a new in-app feature called Family Center. The home area will display three options: view the child's friends, see who they've messaged in the past week and report abuse or safety concerns.

The feature will not allow parents to see the contents of any of the conversations their children are having.

Snapchat said the goal is to help empower parents and teens in a way that still protects a teenager's privacy, similar to how parents would engage with their teens in the real world.

The news comes days after lawmakers introduced internet safety legislation to the House to combat social media preying on children, the Combating Harmful Actions with Transparency on Social Act of 2022.

The bill would modify the federal crime reporting system to include data from internet platforms related to criminal offenses.

Kids as young as 13 are allowed on the app. The new features will be rolled out in several months.