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Snapchat launches Family Safety Hub in UAE partnership

Snapchat unveils comprehensive parental controls platform in collaboration with Abu Dhabi authorities on July 4, 2025.

Luis Rijo

• 5 min read
Snapchat Family Center interface showing parents and teens using safety features together at home
Snapchat Family Center interface showing parents and teens using safety features together at home

Snapchat introduced its Family Safety Hub on July 4, 2025, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and life coach Hala Kazim. The announcement occurred during a special event in the UAE that brought together parents, creators, and press to discuss platform safety initiatives.

Fatal Al Melhi, director of special projects department at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, emphasized the collaboration's significance. "This feature is going to protect teenagers on this platform," Melhi stated during the launch event. The partnership stems from a children's digital well-being pact signed earlier this year between Snapchat and the authority.

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Summary

Who: Snapchat, Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, life coach Hala Kazim, Fatal Al Melhi (director of special projects), parents and teenagers using the platform

What: Launch of Snapchat Family Safety Hub featuring comprehensive parental controls including friend monitoring, content restrictions, location sharing, AI chatbot controls, and confidential reporting systems

When: July 4, 2025, during a special event in the UAE

Where: United Arab Emirates, with collaboration between Snapchat's global platform and Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority

Why: To enhance teenager safety on Snapchat by providing parents with oversight tools while maintaining privacy boundaries, addressing growing concerns about social media safety for minors and establishing government-industry cooperation on digital safety initiatives

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The Family Safety Hub represents Snapchat's most comprehensive parental oversight system to date. According to the platform's documentation, the hub provides parents with visibility into their teenagers' social connections while maintaining privacy boundaries for direct communications. Parents can see which friends their teens have communicated with in the last seven days without accessing actual message content.

The Family Centre, as the technical platform is officially designated, requires parents to be at least 25 years old to access supervision features. The system allows monitoring of recent conversations while protecting the privacy of actual message content. Technical specifications show that the platform displays communication activity spanning seven days, providing parents with insight into contact frequency without revealing conversation details.

Content restriction capabilities form a central component of the new safety framework. Parents can limit their teenager's exposure to sensitive material in Stories and Spotlight sections through automated filtering systems. The controls specifically target content that may be inappropriate for younger audiences while maintaining access to age-appropriate material.

Artificial intelligence integration plays a significant role in the platform's functionality. The My AI chatbot can be disabled through parental controls, preventing the generative AI system from responding to teenage users. This feature addresses growing concerns about AI interactions with minors and provides parents with direct control over their teen's access to automated chat systems.

Location sharing features within the Family Centre include real-time tracking capabilities through Snap Map integration. Parents can request their teenager's location and view privacy settings associated with location sharing. The system processes data from over 350 million monthly Snap Map users while maintaining privacy protocols and safety measures. Location sharing options were previously expanded in November 2024.

Geofencing technology enables families to designate up to three specific locations on Snap Map. The system generates automatic notifications when family members arrive at or depart from predetermined locations such as educational institutions or recreational facilities. This represents a significant technical advancement in family communication tools.

Privacy safeguards remain central to the platform's design. Location sharing stays disabled by default, requiring explicit user consent for activation. Users can only share location data with accepted friends, and the system includes automated reminders when users add new contacts who might be outside their real-world social networks.

Statistical data indicates Snapchat's substantial teenage user base, with more than 20 million teens using the platform in the United States. Half of these users engage with Snapchat daily, according to platform metrics. This demographic concentration makes safety initiatives particularly significant for the platform's long-term sustainability.

The platform faces ongoing scrutiny regarding teen safety measures. Legal challenges have emerged from state authorities, with New Mexico's Attorney General filing a lawsuit in September 2024 alleging the platform facilitates sexual exploitation of minors. Snap Inc. has consistently stated its commitment to user safety and continues investing in trust and safety measures.

Technical implementation includes automated systems for content moderation and safety protocol enforcement. The platform employs machine learning algorithms to detect potentially harmful interactions and provides users with reporting mechanisms for safety concerns. Parents can confidentially report concerning accounts directly to the company's 24/7 Trust and Safety team.

The reporting system enables parents to flag suspicious accounts without notifying their teenagers, maintaining family relationships while addressing safety concerns. This confidential reporting mechanism represents a sophisticated approach to balancing family communication with protective oversight.

Group chat monitoring extends parental visibility to group conversations. Parents can view complete member lists for group chats their teenager participates in, provided the groups have been active within the seven-day monitoring window. This feature helps parents understand their teen's extended social circle while respecting individual privacy.

Birthday settings visibility allows parents to review how their teenager's age information appears to other users. This feature helps prevent inappropriate contact from adults who might target younger users by searching for specific age demographics.

The Family Centre interface displays user-friendly dashboards showing friend activity, location sharing status, and content restriction settings. Parents navigate through dedicated sections for different oversight functions, streamlining the monitoring process while maintaining clear categorization of available tools.

Platform integration with existing Snapchat infrastructure ensures seamless operation without disrupting core messaging functionality. The safety features operate as an overlay system that provides additional oversight without altering fundamental platform operations for teenage users.

Notification systems keep parents informed about significant changes to their teenager's account activity. The platform sends alerts about new friend additions, location sharing modifications, and content control adjustments, ensuring parents maintain awareness of evolving safety settings.

The Abu Dhabi partnership establishes a framework for government collaboration on digital safety initiatives. This approach reflects growing international cooperation between technology companies and regulatory authorities to address online safety concerns for minors.

Educational components accompany the technical features, providing parents with guidance on digital communication best practices. The platform includes resources explaining how to initiate conversations about online safety and digital citizenship with teenagers.

International expansion of similar safety features follows global regulatory trends requiring enhanced protection for minor users. The UAE launch positions Snapchat for compliance with emerging international standards for social media platform safety requirements.

User adoption metrics will determine the success of these safety initiatives. Platform analytics will track parent engagement with Family Centre features and measure correlation with improved safety outcomes for teenage users. Early indicators suggest positive reception among families participating in pilot programs.

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