Snapchat Open to Daily Time Limits for Teen Users, CEO Tells BBC

Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc., is "willing to implement" daily time limits for its teen users, CEO Evan Spiegel told the BBC. This potential move follows pressure from Meta, which agreed to similar measures as part of a recent legal settlement.

Spiegel described implementing a maximum time limit for young users as "an important step forward for the industry." He noted that the company has "looked really thoughtfully at the terms" and has discussed the idea internally.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, reached a $12.7 billion settlement with attorneys general from most U.S. states in a lawsuit that alleged the company designed its platforms to be addictive to young users. As part of that agreement, Meta committed to implementing a two-hour default daily limit for teen users, along with measures such as muted notifications during school hours and nighttime blocks.

Meta has also stated it would pay an additional $5.3 billion if YouTube and TikTok adopt similar time limits. The company has denied any wrongdoing in the settlement, which will be paid over a decade.

Snapchat, along with Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, has faced scrutiny and litigation alleging that their apps have contributed to a youth mental health crisis. Snapchat has also been accused of facilitating illegal drug sales.

While Spiegel expressed openness to the concept of default time limits, he did not provide a timeline for when Snap might enact such policies. He mentioned that Snapchat currently offers tools through its Family Center, which allows parents to monitor their teenagers' app usage.

Google, the parent company of YouTube, declined to comment when asked about its plans to implement the measures from Meta's settlement. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.

Spiegel's remarks were made in conjunction with Snap Inc.'s announcement of new features for its upcoming Specs glasses. The company stated that the AI-powered eyewear will suggest activities based on user goals, relationships, and routines, aiming to offer proactive recommendations rather than requiring constant user prompts. The Specs glasses are priced at $2,195 in the U.S. and £1,995 in the U.K., targeting early adopters, developers, and enterprise clients.

The new Specs glasses are Snap's latest venture into wearable technology, following its earlier Spectacles product. The company positions the device as a blend between VR headsets and lighter AI smart glasses, featuring AI capabilities overlaid onto the user's view of the real world. Snap emphasized that the Specs glasses do not use facial recognition and include a visible white light at the top of the device to indicate when recording is active, a feature intended to alert nearby individuals.

This development comes as Meta faces criticism over its own smart glasses, which have been used for surreptitious filming, though Meta states it has remotely disabled cameras on devices where indicator lights have been tampered with.