Be careful who your (Snapchat) friends are…
The newest Snapchat update comes with new features, one of them being Snap Maps, which puts you on a map and allows everyone you are friends with on Snapchat to see your exact location. People can see whether you are at home, at work, at the mall…anywhere your phone goes Snapchat tracks your location.
This can pose a particular risk to people who do not personally know all of their Snapchat friends. However, there is a way to put your phone in “Ghost Mode” and turn off Snap Maps. To access Snap Maps open Snapchat, switch to selfie mode, and zoom out until a map appears. If this is your first time opening Snap Maps it will ask if you want to be in “Ghost Mode” and you can simply click it and turn off the new feature. If you have already enabled Snap Maps to switch to “Ghost Mode” simply access the map, click the settings icon in the top right corner, and click to enable “Ghost Mode.” You can also switch your mode to allow all of your friends to see you, or you can hand pick certain friends to allow them to see your location.
As social media becomes more advanced it is important to talk to your children, parents, and friends about safe social media use. Police agencies, including the University of Central Florida Police Department, advise Snapchat users to always keep themselves in “Ghost Mode” to help prevent crimes.
