The social network Snapchat confirmed Thursday that it had completely removed a controversial option, accused of encouraging users to speed tickets.
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The "speed filter" consisted of a speedometer displayed over a video - that of a foot pressing the accelerator, for example. Users could show off by posting their speed on the platform, which is very popular with teens and young adults. The concerns and lawsuits raised by this feature, around the risk of distracted driving, had led Snapchat to transform this augmented reality filter into a simple “sticker” that could be added to messages.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our Snapchat community. (...) Today the sticker is very rarely used by Snapchatters, and we have therefore decided to withdraw it completely, ”
said a spokesperson for the group requested by AFP.
The company Snap had long defended this filter, added to the application in 2013. Faced with criticism, the platform had limited the maximum speed to 56 km / h, to discourage speed record attempts, according to an NPR article.
500 million monthly users
Snapchat announced in May that it has reached 500 million monthly users, thanks in part to massive adoption of the app in India during the pandemic.
The social network that invented ephemeral “stories”, then copied by several of its competitors, draws its popularity in particular from its trademark, augmented reality filters.
But Snapchat is struggling to become profitable despite its strong growth. In the first quarter of this year, the group recorded a net loss of $ 286 million, despite revenue up 66% year-on-year, to $ 770 million.
