End of the road for a Snapchat filter popular with speed enthusiasts.
The social network confirmed Thursday that it had completely removed a controversial option, accused of encouraging users to speed tickets.
The "speed filter" was materialized by a speedometer that was displayed over a video, like a foot pressing the accelerator.
Users could show off by posting their speed on the platform, which is very popular with teens and young adults.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our community"
The concerns and lawsuits raised by this feature, around the risk of distracted driving, had led Snapchat to transform this augmented reality filter into a simple "sticker" ("sticker") that could be added to messages.
Faced with criticism, the platform had also limited the maximum speed to 56 km / h, to discourage speed record attempts.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our Snapchat community.
(…) Today the sticker is very rarely used by Snapchatters, and we have therefore decided to remove it completely, ”said a spokesperson for the group.
The social network had long defended this filter, added to the application in 2013.
The app draws its popularity from augmented reality filters
Snapchat announced in May that it has reached 500 million monthly users, thanks in part to massive adoption of the app in India during the pandemic.
The social network that invented ephemeral “stories”, then copied by several of its competitors, draws its popularity in particular from its trademark, augmented reality filters.
But Snapchat is struggling to become profitable despite its strong growth.
In the first quarter of this year, the group recorded a net loss of $ 286 million, despite revenue up 66% year-on-year, to $ 770 million.
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Traffic Laws
By the Web
Social networks
Augmented reality
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Speed
Speeding
Snapchat