Skip to main content

Snapchat Suspends Two Anonymous Messaging Apps Over Cyberbullying Claims

In light of a lawsuit that was filed earlier, two Snapchat apps, Yolo and LMK have been suspended by Snap. The apps allowed users to send anonymous messages on the platform.

The Lawsuit Calls for an Immediate Ban of Yolo and LMK

According to a LA Times report, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Kristin Bride, the mother of a teen who committed suicide in 2020. The lawsuit alleges that Bride's son took his own life after being cyberbullied via Yolo and LMK.

In addition to this, the lawsuit alleges that Yolo and LMK aren't doing enough to tackle cyberbullying, and have consequently violated consumer protection law as well as their own terms of service and policies.

Both apps use Snap Kit, a set of tools that allows developers to directly connect to Snapchat for better integration features.

Regarding these allegations, A Snap spokesperson stated:

In light of the serious allegations raised by the lawsuit, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the Snapchat community, we are suspending both Yolo and LMK’s Snap Kit integrations while we investigate these claims

The lawsuit further alleges that all three apps, including Snapchat, have failed to adhere to their policies. While Yolo and LMK let cyberbullying go unchecked for an extended period of time, Snap is also to blame since it didn't remove these apps from its platform.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages on behalf of the Snapchat, Yolo, and LMK communities.

Social Media Companies Need to Be Held Accountable

While the lawsuit aims to hold Snapchat, Yolo, and LMK accountable for allegedly facilitating cyberbullying, they face one major hurdle.

Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act states that social media companies cannot be held responsible for the actions of their users. There are ways to circumvent the protection offered by Section 230, the most popular one being the argument that "some features are so dangerous in design that they’re essentially defective."

Related: Internet Safety Do's and Don'ts to Keep You Secure Online

The argument could work in this case because anonymous messaging apps in general tend to bring out the worst in people. This is because, in addition to hiding behind a screen, cyberbullies also have complete anonymity that makes it difficult to track them down.

Another example is a lawsuit that called for the removal of a Snapchat filter that measured a user's speed and added it to a picture. In this case, plaintiffs argued that it encouraged speeding that caused a fatal crash in 2017.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best 10 Social Media Platforms for Photographers to Flaunt Their Talent

Social media offers an excellent opportunity for photographers to connect with potential clients. In the digital era, it's a great asset. By showcasing your work on these networks, you can reach new audiences. Whether you are a professional or freelance photographer, the following social platforms will help you show off your work and get the right people to take notice... 1. Behance Behance is a classic portfolio publishing network that functions like a LinkedIn for creatives. Designed by Adobe, this is one of the best photography networking sites currently out there. The platform is ideal for sharing your portfolio and favorite images, allowing other Behance users to like and comment on your photos. By learning from their feedback and professional critiques, you can improve your work. The coolest feature of Behance is that it lets you find professional gig opportunities right on the platform. With your portfolio already available on the site, getting work becomes effortless. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The 6 Best Platforms for Sharing Your Digital Art Online

Whether you're looking for somewhere to host your digital art portfolio or simply want to share your latest artworks, it can be difficult to choose a website to upload to. Or at least, it definitely is more so than before, now that art websites aren't bubbling with as much excitement as they used to be. You know that each site has its pros and cons, but it's hard to figure out what those are unless you make an account and see for yourself. Don't worry if you don't have time for that—we've got your back. Here are the websites we recommend for sharing digital art, and why you might want to consider them. 1. Pixiv If you were around when the online art scene was ridiculously active, chances are that your art style is influenced by anime and/or manga in some way. Otaku culture began its slow sneak into mainstream media back then, and Pixiv is a great home for artists that fall in that category. Pixiv started as a small online community based in Japan,...
Post a Comment
Read more