Snapchat: a place for internet celebs and online predators
The hottest disappearing image platform online is a hotbed for predators, scammers, and groomers. Various Internet celebrities are under fire for allegedly grooming children via the platform, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Image by Cybernews
The hottest disappearing image platform online is a hotbed for predators, scammers, and groomers. Various Internet celebrities are under fire for allegedly grooming children via the platform, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Recently, Ava Kris Tyson, a main character in the Mr. Beast universe, was confronted with grooming allegations.
It has been purported that Tyson was in communication with a 13-year-old child when she was 20 years old, and she supposedly sent sexually suggestive messages to multiple minors via the social media platform Snapchat – a platform made popular by young people.
Despite her denial of these allegations, she has apologized for her “past behavior” in a post on X.
“I humbly apologize to anyone I have hurt with my unacceptable social media posts and past actions and to those who may feel betrayed by how I used to act online,” she said.
I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone. It was not my intent. Seeing recent events we’ve mutually decided it’s best I permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health.
undefined Ava Kris Tyson (@kristyson_) July 23, 2024
Although she explicitly said, “I never groomed anyone,” Tyson promptly left the YouTube group to “focus on (her) family and mental health.”
Other Internet personalities have also dealt with allegations regarding inappropriate relationships with minors.
YouTuber and make-up artist (MUA) James Charles has been accused of sending explicit images and requesting sexually explicit images of young fans via Snapchat.
Charles was publicly accused of sending lewd images and inappropriate messages to a then 16-year-old fan, Cosmopolitan wrote in an article promoting Charle’s return to Internet fame.
The MUA and YouTuber also denied the grooming allegations and made a statement via X in February 2021. Charles was 22 at the time of the initial accusations, and more offenses have been alleged since then.
undefined James Charles (@jamescharles) February 26, 2021
There’s a common thread within these two stories that demonstrates a larger, more pervasive problem polluting the Internet. Snapchat.
This encrypted social media platform allows users to send and receive pictures, videos, and drawings from their Snapchat friends and has been, arguably, used as a vehicle to drive exploitation.
Data shows an 82% increase in online grooming over the past five years, and Snapchat is responsible for 26% of online grooming offenses against children, the British child protection charity NSPCC wrote.
Although this isn’t as high as Meta-owned platforms like Instagram and Facebook, this is still a significant percentage.
But what is it about Snapchat that makes it a haven for online predators, groomers, and individuals seeking inappropriate relationships with minors?
To fully understand Snapchat’s influence, we need to start from the beginning.
Snapchat’s rocky beginnings
Created by former Ivy League college students Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, the disappearing image app was released in July 2011 and took center stage in 2015 when it reached roughly 75 million monthly users.
The platform faced some challenges before it grew in popularity. In 2014, Snapchat was hacked by anonymous hackers, exposing 4.6 million users’ phone numbers and usernames, the BBC reported.
Its poor security posture and insecure cybersecurity practices aside, vulnerable children were reportedly using Snapchat every day, with more than 37% of surveyed children saying they spend more than 10 hours a day on the platform.
In 2021, the NSPCC reported that Snapchat was used in over one-quarter of offenses against children. Demonstrating that this platform is among the most commonly used platforms by child predators.
To this day, Snapchat has roughly 422 million daily active users and continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms on the Internet.
However, behind its popularity, funny filters, and addictive Snap streak lurks a dark and disturbing community of people looking to abuse and exploit children.
Snapchat: a predators paradise
So, why is Snapchat a hotbed for child predators? I consulted various experts to help me answer this question.
Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, said that “Snapchat's popularity among younger demographics provides predators with a potentially vulnerable and also huge audience.”
What draws this audience is the innovative characteristics, but this may be the reason for its exploitation by predators.
“Due to the disappearing messages feature, Snapchat has become a hotbed for predators. This feature has made it easier for them to share inappropriate content without lasting evidence,” Tom Jauncey, head nerd at Nautilus Marketing, said.
The platform also includes features like Snap Map and My Eyes Only. With these features, users can share their location and hide content. Thus, it has become very easy for predators to exploit young people, Jauncey continued.
The platform is favored by those who want to take advantage of these features. However, those who aren’t aware of the seemingly inherent dangers within the platform are taken advantage of.
“Snapchat is popular with kids because of its fun features and the perception that messages disappear quickly, preventing negative repercussions for such actions as sexting. This makes it attractive to predators who take advantage of the temporary nature of Snaps (to which there are workarounds) to exploit and groom unsuspecting minors,” said Yaron Litwin, digital safety expert and chief marketing officer of Canopy.
“Snapchat's temporary content, ability to see real-time location, and popularity among teens create a setting where young users may share impulsively, making them vulnerable to exploitation by predators who can interact anonymously,” Warmenhoven said.
Warmenhoven reminds users that “anyone can take a screenshot of a Snap, and many third-party apps can save and download Snaps.”
Social media: a groomers playground
Although it’s not only Snapchat that is rife with predators, the platform allows young users as young as 13 (in the US) to interact with others. Furthermore, parents may not be aware of what their children get up to on their devices.
“Any mobile messaging platform is ripe for exploitation by predators as many minors have their own phones and their online interactions may not be regularly supervised by parents or guardians,” said Ryan Jamieson, principal consultant at Knit Security.
Furthermore, this perception that messages are “deleted” is unlike any other social media platform. This holds specific cybersecurity risks and raises privacy concerns as minors may share sensitive, personal information.
“The app’s disappearing messages make it difficult to monitor interactions and shared information. This can lead to impulsive sharing by kids, who may incorrectly believe there will be no record of their activities,” notes Warmenhoven.
“Additionally, the platform’s format is conducive to cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content, with its nature making it a preferred medium for bullies and a risky environment for unfiltered content exposure.”
Protect yourself online
There are various things we can do that help put a stop to this kind of exploitation.
Users “should ensure that privacy settings are appropriately configured, such as enabling Ghost Mode to hide locations,” Warmenhoven suggests.
Appropriate education for all users should be of top priority regarding online exploitation. Anyone can be exploited, and although it may not seem like it, adults can be susceptible to scams, sextortion, and online harassment via apps like Snapchat.
People “should educate users about online dangers and encourage open conversations,” Jauncey said.
Bury it?
With the disturbing stories of Charles and Tyson circulating online, it seems natural that we blame Snapchat, But should we bury the platform?
“While stopping Snapchat entirely might not be the solution or even possible, significant changes are necessary to make it safer for users,” said Litwin.
Although the platform has been developed to be fun and engage young users, it does have several drawbacks. Should it be stopped, or is that a step too far?
“Deciding whether Snapchat should be stopped involves weighing its benefits against its risks,” Warmenhoven posits.
“Snapchat offers a unique platform for communication and creativity, especially among younger users, which can improve connections and self-expression. However, it also presents challenges like privacy concerns and the potential for misuse.”
Whether we should kill Snapchat is ultimately not up to us. Unfortunately, it is up to tech companies to make the change and properly ensure that users don’t succumb to extortion, grooming, and the predatory behavior of others.
Recently, Meta deleted 63,000 accounts linked to a Nigerian sextortion gang. But is it enough to stop extortion and online exploitation for good?
Tech giants, it’s in your hands, and that alone is terrifying.