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Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has indicated a willingness to implement time limits for teenage users on its platform, a move that follows pressure from Meta, the social media giant behind Instagram and Facebook. Evan Spiegel, the CEO of Snap, shared this sentiment in an interview with the BBC at the company’s California headquarters, suggesting that setting a maximum duration for young users’ engagement could be a significant and beneficial development for the industry as a whole. This statement comes at a time when Snap is also unveiling new features for its upcoming Specs glasses, which are designed to integrate with Apple’s iPhone and Mac devices.
Meta has been actively encouraging other social media companies to adopt platform changes that it recently agreed to as part of a substantial multi-billion dollar legal settlement with various U.S. states. The Attorneys General representing most U.S. states had accused Meta of intentionally designing its applications, specifically Instagram and Facebook, to be addictive for young users. In response to these allegations, Meta agreed to pay $12.7 billion and, crucially, to implement a default two-hour daily time limit for teen users across its platforms. This settlement also includes provisions for muted notifications during school hours and blocks on usage at night, among other protective measures.
Spiegel articulated his perspective on these industry-wide changes, telling the BBC, "I think it is an important step forward in the industry in terms of really identifying industry norms, and I think that would be beneficial overall." He further elaborated that Snap has "looked really thoughtfully at the terms," suggesting an openness to explore such limitations. The Meta settlement, reached in August, also includes a stipulation that Meta will implement even more stringent time limits and pay an additional $5.3 billion if YouTube and TikTok also agree to similar measures. Meta has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to this settlement, which will be paid out over a decade. A Meta spokesperson had previously expressed optimism that Snap would eventually adopt comparable platform changes.
This discussion about time limits occurs within a broader context of intense scrutiny faced by major social media platforms. Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap have all been subjected to a significant volume of litigation, with allegations that their applications have contributed to a youth mental health crisis. Snap, in particular, has also faced accusations of facilitating the sale of illegal drugs. When directly questioned about the concept of a default time limit, Spiegel responded affirmatively, stating, "I think that’s a really good example of something that that we’d be willing to implement." However, he stopped short of providing a concrete timeline for when Snap might enact such a policy, remarking, "That’s something we’ve talked about internally. I don’t have more to share today."
Spiegel did highlight that Snap currently offers tools through its Family Center feature, which empowers parents to monitor various aspects of their teenagers’ Snapchat usage. He emphasized Snap’s commitment to being part of the solution, stating, "We want to figure out how we can be part of the solution." In contrast, YouTube’s parent company, Google, declined to comment when asked about its plans regarding the measures outlined in Meta’s settlement. TikTok did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
The interview with Spiegel coincided with Snap Inc.’s announcement of new features for its forthcoming Specs glasses, signaling the company’s continued investment in wearable technology. Spiegel revealed that these smart glasses will leverage artificial intelligence to offer personalized suggestions for activities, based on the device’s understanding of a user’s goals, relationships, and routines. He described this as a departure from current chatbot interactions, where users must constantly prompt for information. Instead, Specs will be capable of discerning what is important to the user and proactively offering recommendations or outlining subsequent steps.
Similar to other smart glasses on the market, Specs will integrate AI to enable users to view digital content overlaid onto their real-world surroundings. However, this advanced technology comes at a premium price point, retailing at $2,195 in the United States and £1,995 in the United Kingdom. Spiegel indicated that the initial target audience for Specs comprises early technology adopters, developers, and enterprise clients.
With the introduction of Specs, Snap aims to carve out a distinct niche in the wearable tech market, positioned as a compromise between fully immersive VR headsets like Meta’s Quest 3 and the more discreet, lightweight AI smart glasses offered by competitors, which more closely resemble conventional eyewear. Spiegel asserted that Snap is "creating a totally new category here," highlighting the device’s unique combination of capabilities. He explained that Specs incorporates a powerful computer offering immersive experiences akin to VR, while remaining lightweight at approximately 130 grams, making them highly wearable. The see-through lenses further enhance their utility for use in everyday environments.
Specs represents Snap’s latest venture into wearable technology, arriving a decade after its earlier Spectacles product, which proved to be a costly endeavor for the company, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in losses. The launch of Specs also occurs amidst a significant backlash against Meta’s own smart glasses, which are currently considered the market leaders. These Meta glasses have been derisively referred to as "pervert glasses" by some online users due to instances of them being used to secretly film individuals, particularly women. Reports have emerged of people being filmed without their consent, including one individual captured leaving a beach, and another being asked to pay for the removal of a video of themselves from the internet.
Despite these controversies, sales of Meta’s smart glasses continue to grow, with Meta reporting sales of seven million pairs. Snap has proactively addressed potential privacy concerns in the design of Specs, notably by excluding facial recognition technology for user identification. A distinctive white light illuminates at the top of the glasses, just above the user’s nose, whenever the device is recording video or taking a photograph. Snap states that this visual indicator is intended to alert nearby individuals that recording is in progress. In contrast, users of Meta glasses have reportedly found ways to obscure these recording indicators, including by tampering with the device’s internal electronics. Meta has responded by remotely disabling the cameras on thousands of its devices where such tampering or destruction of the indicator light has been detected.
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