Will new photo-sharing app increase ‘sexting’ risk?

Snapchat is the latest digital phenomenon – 50 million pictures are shared using it every day, and the app has shot to number two in the charts for free photo-sharing packages among Apple users in the US.

For teenagers it’s the latest way to keep in touch with friends.

Users who spoke to Channel 4 News said they send about 30 pictures a day.

What makes the app different is that senders can set a time limit on the photos they send, so the recipient can only see then for between one and ten seconds before the snap disappears.

Time limit option for snaps

Fifteen-year-old Sarah, an avid Snapchat user, said: “It’s the rush, the novelty of having the timer and not being able to look at it for so long, you have to take it all in really quickly.”

Her friend Henna said: “We use it for selfies – pictures of ourselves pulling stupid faces, or pictures of my dog, or if someone in my family does something stupid I take a quick picture of them. It’s just a really fast way of communicating.”

Snapchat is challenging Instagram, which is still the big photo sharing app. Instagram was bought out last April by Facebook, which said it had the right to sell personal photos shared through it.

Instagram backtracked on the changes after an outcry from users.

But Snapchat has caused a stir in the US where it was developed, with the suggestion that it’s being used by young people to send sexually explicit photos of themselves.

Claims of ‘sexting’ via Snapchat

Twitter users have reported being sent nude pictures of strangers via Snapchat.

Sexting, as it’s called, isn’t confined to the States. Last year, Channel 4 News and NSPCC research showed that sending naked pictures is the new norm for many youngsters.

In this climate, some might laud the presence of Snapchat where at least those pictures aren’t permanent.

Senator Antony Weiner for example – who resigned after being caught sending an explicit photo of himself – could have benefitted from the app’s timer device.

Inventors say sexting risks ‘overstated’

Snapchat’s inventors say they believe the sexting risks have been overstated. But some have concerns about the risks.

Counselling psychologist Dr Elaine Kasket said: “The appeal is that it allows you to be spontaneous, and in a way that doesn’t follow you around for life and don’t come back to haunt you.

“On the other hand there’s huge potential for sending explicit messages that might not be welcome to recipient, might be upsetting to them, stalking other people, bullying. And there’s no evidence and no recourse for the recipient.”

There are also ways to get around the time limit Snapchat places on photos. A recipient can take a screen shot of the image, for example (although the sender is notified afterwards if this happens).

“Recipients can also use a second device to take a photo of the incoming image.

Such criticism hasn’t dented this app’s growing popularity though. There are rumours that Google is planning to buy the company for $50m. Like many new technology firms, the challenge for Snapchat is how in the long term it can make money from its users without alienating them.

Snapchat: a parent’s guide.

1. Talk to your child about using Snapchat responsibly – warn them it is possible to get around the time limit.

2. Users can only send photos to people whose Snapchat IDs they know. So your children cannot be sent images by someone who, for example, only knows your child’s real name.

3. Your child can block messages from Snapchat users. Instructions are here: http://www.snapchat.com/#How-can-I-block-a-friend-from-sending-me-snaps?

4. If your child does receive distressing images, they should attempt to screenshot it and tell you about it immediately. This preserves evidence which can be acted upon later.