Snapchat has a long history of explicit content

 

We really like technology. We also really like helping kids live amazing lives.

Admittedly, Snapchat filters are a blast! My kids laugh uncontrollably when dad looks like an ostrich or a baby.

Unfortunately, most of Snapchat’s awesomeness stops there.

Snapchat’s history is not clean. We speak to so many parents who are concerned about kids who send nudes, the predatory risks with ephemeral content, and a Discover section that gives kids instructions for how to have anal sex [ref], tells them to hide their internet activity from their parents [ref], and gives them access to Pornhub in 5 clicks [see video below].

Oh, and don’t forget their attempt on May 18, 2018, allowing Cosmo to publish After Dark with “all things hot and horny.”

• In an app used by 75% of teens in the United States.
• In an app that Apple says is appropriate for ages 12+.

The purpose of this post is educational. If your kid has Snapchat, it’s important that you know the truth about the digital playground where your child is spending time.

5 clicks to Pornhub through Snapchat

 

Snapchat will tell you that they don’t allow porn on their app. Here’s what they told KUTV 2 in Salt Lake City during a story we did with them in February:

“Snapchat has a zero-tolerance policy on the promotion or distribution of pornographic content.”

We turned off every app on our iPhone except Snapchat using the Downtime feature. We then created this video showing you easy it is to still access Pornhub through Snapchat’s Stories feature.

Snapchat STORIES are the key. STORIES are compilations of Snaps from the last 24 hours.

Context – we have various test accounts that we use at PYE. This particular one added a few porn performers. They’re easy to find on Instagram and Snapchat. On Instagram, they advertise their Snap name, where with a simple click, you’re taken to Snapchat and subscribe to their account. This particular Snapchat account has already taken those steps.

Trigger warning: some individuals might find content in this video sexually triggering. 

The use of Snapchat by pornography performers like Nikki Delano, Cherie DeVille, Lela Star, Alva Jay, and many, many others is well documented. A February 13, 2019 NY Post article explained how Valentia Maria traded her $200/week tanning job for making $1,000/day selling explicit photos and videos via her Snapchat account. “Premium” Snapchat accounts are nothing new.

Three steps parents can take to prevent some porn on Snapchat

 

Parents can’t lock in any parental controls on Snapchat and parental control companies like Bark have no access to the app’s content. But there are THREE things all parents can do right now:

STEP ONE: block known porn domains.

If you allow your child to use Snapchat, be sure to block known pornography domains. You can do this easily on iOS with Content Restrictions. Follow these instructions:

Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Content Restrictions -> insert your passcode -> Web Content -> Limit Adult Websites. This will block access to Pornhub through Snapchat.

For blocking porn sites like Pornhub on other devices (Chromebooks, Android, Xbox, Kindle, and more), read: How to Block Porn on Any Device. For Free.

Problem – Twitter is not recognized as a porn domain, but porn is everywhere on Twitter, and it’s accessible just like Pornhub through FanCentro via some of the performers. Same with Instagram. Both of these sites, and many others that are attached to various FanCentro sites are accessible without ever leaving Snapchat. If you don’t want your child accessing either of these sites, then you would have to add https://instagram.com and https://twitter.com to the “Never Allow” list in Screen Time (Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Content Restrictions -> insert your password -> Web Content -> Never Allow).

A second way to block known porn domains is with the accountability solution Covenant Eyes. The filtering option on CE uses CleanBrowsing, which will block Pornhub even through Snapchat.

STEP TWO: monitor Snapchat Stories using Bark.

Bark is the only parental control solution that monitors Snapchat Stories on both iPhone and Android devices. Use it for 7 days free. It’s an awesome solution. Bark won’t block Pornhub like Covenant Eyes, but if you want a tool that will overall monitor what Stories your child is viewing, then Bark will do that.

FAQ – can you use both Covenant Eyes and Bark together? Yes, you can, but only on iPhone. These two solutions are not compatible on Android devices.

STEP THREE: keep the porn conversation open and normal.

I bet that got your attention. Normalize porn. My kids talk about pornography openly and often. They joke when they see someone on the TV come out of the bathroom in a towel, “ahhh, that’s pornography!”

Recently, upon seeing me and my wife kiss in the kitchen, my teen daughter said, “Hey, knock it off, that’s pornography,” with a sly smile.

My kids are 7, 9, 9, and 14. They’ve known the word for years. That’s due to our intentional efforts to ask them, “Have you seen anything unusual, naked people, anything scary on the internet recently? You can always tell me.” ZERO shame. 110% open and comfortable. IT’S JUST A WORD.

Our conclusion: Snapchat needs to care more about kids

 

The standard response from Big Tech is that it’s up to parents to protect their kids.

Parents are absolutely the first teachers of their children when it comes to responsible use of technology. But parents cannot control all of the digital doorways that influence their children. Large technology companies have a social responsibility – a “duty of care” – to provide a reasonable set of standards and intuitive controls so that the parents who care can guide and protect their kids in the digital age.

This quote from Ruth Moss from the NSPCC summarizes our feelings well:

“And I’ve often heard people say, ‘But it’s the parent’s responsibility to keep their children safe online’, and yes it absolutely is, parents need to do as much as they can, but my message today is parents cannot do that on their own because the internet is too ubiquitous and it’s too difficult to control, it’s become a giant.”

Like no other time in history, can one kid so radically and quickly change the future of another kid.

We don’t delegate meat safety to the consumer. It’s owned by meat producers so that we don’t kill people. We don’t delegate auto safety to the consumer. It’s owned by the car manufacturers so that we don’t kill people. Google. Apple. Facebook (Instagram). Snapchat. It’s time for YOU to own more of the solution. Your profits depend on human attention. Human addiction. You’ve made billions by monetizing and exploiting humans.

• Do any of you actually have a family?
• Do any of you have a daughter who’s addicted to social media?
• Do any of you have a son who curiously searched for porn and now can’t stop clicking?

I simply want you to see the digital world through the eyes of a real parent. Because I swear that none of them are making decisions at your companies.

Snapchat – Evan Spiegel – your app has too much porn. And young people are seeing it. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, you can’t possibly believe that peddling easy porn to young people is good for this earth. Please do more soon.

---

Now What? Have you Heard of Bark?

Are you interested in having greater insight into the social media platforms that your kids are using? Bark is one of the best platforms we’ve tested. They’re constantly looking for ways to dig further into apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and others, to keep parents informed about the information that matters. We trust them and we think you should, too!

Try Bark for Free Today!

*There are affiliate links throughout this post because we’ve tested and trust a small list of parental control solutions. Our work saves you time! If you decide that you agree with us, then we may earn a small commission, which does nothing to your price. Enjoy!