Assignment Brief
Police issue child safety warning over Snapchat maps update that reveals users’ locations
Police forces have raised child safety concerns about a new Snapchat feature that reveals users’ locations amid fears it could be used for stalking.
Parents have been warned to turn off “Snap Maps” on their children’s phones after Snapchat, which is wildly popular among teenagers, introduced the location-sharing mode this week.
The feature displays a map of nearby friends, showing their latest location gathered using a smartphone’s GPS sensor. Users of the app can also search for locations such as individual schools, with the app displaying public photos and videos sent by students.
While the feature is designed to help friends meet up or attend events together it has raised fears that it could be abused. Preston Police said on its Facebook page: “Obviously this may cause concern for certain users, particularly those who have young children who use the app.”
It said users could change the settings to a private mode that does not share their location with anyone.
A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said: “It’s worrying that Snapchat is allowing under 18s to broadcast their location on the app where it can potentially be accessed by everyone in their contact lists.
“With public accounts, this will include those who are not known to the user. This highlights why it’s vital children are automatically offered safer accounts on social media to ensure they are protected from unnecessary risks.”
The UK Safer Internet Centre said: “It is important to be careful about who you share your location with, as it can allow people to build up a picture of where you live, go to school and spend your time.
“Given how specific this new feature is on Snapchat – giving your location to a precise pinpoint on a map – we would encourage users not to share their location, especially with people they don’t know in person.”
Parents can turn the feature off on children’s phones by setting the app to “ghost mode”.
“The safety of our community is very important to us and we want to make sure that all Snapchatters, parents and educators have accurate information about how the Snap Map works,” said a spokesperson from the company.
“With Snap Map, location-sharing is off by default for all users and is completely optional. Snapchatters can choose exactly who they want to share their location with, if at all, and can change that setting at any time. It’s also not possible to share your location with someone who isn’t already your friend on Snapchat, and the majority of interactions on Snapchat take place between close friends.”
Source: Field, M. (2017) The Telegraph, 23rd June
Use 4000words reviewing your team’s presentation on the social marketing brief.
Two objectives/purposes of the report:
1. To summarise (briefly and clearly) the social marketing strategy and plan you have developed in your group. This is NOT an essay assignment about Social Marketing.
2. To demonstrate your own understanding of Social Marketing theory and practice. To do this:
• You must identify weaknesses in your group plan (which may be highlighted by tutor feedback)
• Address these weaknesses through your individual research, reading of and reference to industry examples and theory.
• Critical thinking and evaluation is a key component here
• Remember, the theoretical concepts you may not have had a chance to explore in your presentations can be brought in here to help your evaluation
The individual report requires you to evaluate your group’s work based on the following criteria:
• Comprehensiveness, use of appropriate theory to develop insight into, and a strategy for tackling, a social issue or problem.
• Critical thinking
• Quality of thought
• Quality of effort in gathering information from relevant sources
• Referencing (refer to the Online Skills Module)
