‘Platforms must actively listen to teen experiences’: Snapchat launches Australian teen advisory council
Snapchat is launching a new advisory board of students aged 14 to 16, after research found an overwhelming number of Australians feel teenagers should be involved in conversations about social media use in young people.
Snapchat is launching its Council for Digital Wellbeing program in Australia, calling on students aged between 14 and 16 to “help build a more positive digital world”.
A group of “around 15 young Aussies” will participate in a two-day, in-person summit in Snapchat’s Sydney HQ, followed by monthly calls, meetings with members of Snapchat’s global advisory board of online safety experts, and project work.
The Australian group will serve as a ‘sister’ council to a similar program launched in the US last year, and comes after YouGov research found that over 90% of Australians say teenagers should be involved in conversations about making online spaces safer and healthier.
The US Council for Digital Wellbeing, hard at work.
Ben Au, local policy lead for Snap Inc, said the new Australian teen council is a key part of the company’s drive to ensure Snapchat is “a fun and safe place for connecting with friends and family”. The company is calling for applications from all parts of the country, to make sure “ideas from a diverse group of teen voices” are heard.
“We believe that teens have invaluable insights to share, and we’re excited to collaborate with them to build an even better digital future for all,” Au said.
Lucy Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Australian youth advocacy and anti-bullying organisation, Project Rockit, applauds the initiative.
“Now more than ever, it’s essential that young people have a voice in shaping the platforms they use every day,” she explains.
“If we want online social experiences to be safe and empowering, platforms must actively listen to teen experiences and respond by design. It’s exciting to see Snapchat’s new Australian-based Council for Digital Wellbeing provide this opportunity for Aussie teens to step up and take the lead in shaping global platforms.”
Snapchat has been proactive in protecting teenagers on its platform, with safety and privacy settings on by default for those ages under 18, with the ‘Family Centre’ allowing parents and caregivers to further monitor who their teen is communicating with.
The US Council for Digital Wellbeing
Numerous tech giants have been outspoken about Anthony Albanese’s recently passed legislation, which gives social media platforms until December to block access to under 16s in Australia, or risk large, enforceable fines. Meta believes that the onus should lie with the app stores, who already require proof-of-age for certain downloads, to act as gatekeepers.
Antigone Davis, global vice president of safety, Meta said in November: “We respect any age limitations the government wants to introduce for social media use – however, what’s missing is a deeper discussion on how we implement protections.”
Davis pointed to research conducted by Ipsos Australia Public Affairs on parental views around social media. The study found 75% of parents surveyed trusted app stores over apps to securely handle the personal data needed to verify parental approval.
Interestingly, the research favoured the hands-on approach taken by Snapchat’s advisory board, albeit with the teenagers taking the lead.
“The research shows parents want to be involved in their teens’ online lives and want to have a say in determining what’s appropriate for their individual teens,” Davis said.
“We strongly believe parental approval and age verification at the operating system and app store level will provide a simple and effective solution, while also reducing the burden and privacy risk for parents and teens.”
As it stands, Snapchat will fall under the Albanese Government’s blanket ban for under 16s, which comes into force in December.
A spokesperson from Snapchat confirmed to Mumbrella this won’t impact the future of the advisory board, which is slated to be active for an 18-month period, beginning in April.
The company said it considers digital wellbeing to be broader than social media — or Snapchat — use, and that teenagers on the board aren’t required to be either social media or Snapchat users.
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