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Following lawsuits, Snapchat ends its controversial ‘Speed filter’

Snapchat on Thursday stated that it is putting brakes on a controversial feature ‘Speed Filter’ that according to critics encouraged reckless driving.

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Following lawsuits, Snapchat pulls its controversial ‘Speed filter’
Following lawsuits, Snapchat pulls its controversial ‘Speed filter’

The feature introduced in 2013 enabled users to share how fast they were moving.

Using the feature, users capture their speed in an image, prompting concerns and lawsuits over the potential for dangerously distracted driving.

According to a report, the feature that figured in multiple lawsuits over car crashes.

The filter, which purported to let users see how fast they were going, was cited in a lawsuit by parents who said the filter pushed their children into a fatal car crash in 2017.

A spokesperson stated that, "Nothing is more important than the safety of our Snapchat community, and we had previously disabled the filter at driving speeds".

"Today the sticker is barely used by Snapchatters, and in light of that, we are removing it altogether," he added.

The app has 500 million monthly active users amid surging growth in many parts of the world.

In May, the platform had 280 million daily active users.

Much of Snapchat's appeal comes from its "camera" feature which enables users to add augmented reality to their own content and use the technology for interactions, including shopping.

However, the company has struggled to become profitable despite its strong growth.

 

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