Here’s What People Are Saying About Snapchat’s Maps Feature
Snapchat has become ubiquitous enough to be a favorite Halloween costume option and popular enough to have its story and filter features adopted by Facebook and Instagram. Its new maps feature is an attempt to further stand out from its competitors, and while some are loving the ability to stalk — ahem, track — their friends and events around the world, others worry that Snap Map might be a privacy concern.
Snap Map shows users Snap stories of things such as sporting events, breaking news, and more from all across the world, and also allows mutual friends on the app to share their location with one another, showing a Bitmoji (or, if you don’t have a Bitmoji, just a blank Bitmoji outline) on a map wherever they’re walking, relaxing, partying, and more.
Immediately after the launch, Twitter was abuzz over the fact that followers might see real-time information about where people are located at any given time (as long as they’re actually using the app). Some worried that sending Snaps to the live Snapchat-curated “Our Story” might potentially make their location visible.
As with all of Snapchat’s features, though, you can control what you share. People have the ability to limit who sees their location, from mutual friends to select friends to no one but yourself on “Ghost Mode.”
Parents- have you put your child's Snapchat on ghost mode yet? Remember, their location is public thanks to snap map
— 🦄Aprill🌟 (@HeyAprill) June 23, 2017
Not everyone is worried about the privacy issue, though. Some people are concerned about FOMO:
my fomo is literally sCREAMING at snap maps like swearrr if i see y'alls bitmoji really out here doin that
— alana rose (@iamalana_) June 22, 2017
snap update boutta ruin lives pic.twitter.com/mvaMD7Mp7Y
— lui (@alexissullyy) June 22, 2017
Snap maps is the worst things that could have happened to my fomo…I just sit here and jump from island to island
— Maricela (@MrsCellyCel) June 23, 2017
Or shame over never leaving their house:
All snap maps has told my friends is that I never leave home.
— IMVGINE (@imvginemusic) June 29, 2017
y'all are scared of getting caught lying and getting kidnapped but this is why I'm scared of the new update LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/0PW88rXfMK
— sam (@toxickilos) June 24, 2017
people worried about catching cheaters on snap maps & im more embarrassed about people seeing how little i actually leave my house 😂
— solomiya 🌸 (@solomiyaaaa) June 26, 2017
And other, as BuzzFeed called them, low-key life ruiners:
Forget to go ghost mode and watch Snap map become another episode of cheaters. Stay loyal.
— Simon (@therealonyango) July 2, 2017
The new snapchat update is already ruining lives 😂 pic.twitter.com/vXUjKkpzhp
— Calum Palla (@calumpalla) June 23, 2017
Snapchat gonna make me lose some friends😭😂😂 pic.twitter.com/DFHblOKej6
— Youssef Mokhtar (@Youssefmokhttar) June 25, 2017
Of course, Snap Maps has the potential to be a lot of fun, if you use it safely. Users can always adjust account settings at any time, and to be extra sure you’re off the Snap Map grid if you want to be, check your device’s location sharing settings to make sure they’re in check.
Will you use Snapchat’s new Maps feature? Let us know @BritandCo!
(Photos via Mark Kolbe/Getty, Snapchat)