Snapchat introduced new parental controls, two days after settling a lawsuit accusing the platform of causing social media addiction and mental health issues. The new features within Snapchat's Family Center tool allow parents and guardians to monitor their teen's time spent on the app and gain insights into their new friendships.

Parents can now view the average daily time their teen spends on Snapchat over the past week. This data is broken down across various app sections, including chatting, snapping, camera use, Snap Map, and content consumption on Spotlight and Stories. The Family Center previously allowed parents to see their teen's full friend list, and now it provides additional context about new friends.

Specifically, parents can now see indicators of how their teen likely knows a new friend. These indicators include mutual friends, saved contact information, and shared community memberships. According to Snapchat, these "trust signals" are designed to help parents better understand their teen's connections.

The introduction of these features comes amid growing concerns about screen time and online safety, and follows a lawsuit alleging Snapchat's role in addiction and mental health problems. By offering these controls, Snap is likely attempting to address regulatory scrutiny and parental concerns.

The Family Center is available within the Snapchat app, accessible through the parent's account. The company has not yet announced further expansions to the Family Center's capabilities, but the current update represents a significant step toward increased parental oversight on the platform.