Snap bans anonymous messaging from third-party apps

Snap is taking more action against bullying and harassment on Snapchat. It will no longer allow anonymous messaging from third-party apps that hook into its platform. The company said that while most people used these features in "fun, engaging, and entirely appropriate ways," it acknowledged others might take advantage of anonymity "to engage in harmful behavior."

From now on, third-party apps that want to let folks communicate through a Snapchat integration will need to have registered users with visible usernames and identities.

Last May, Snap locked two third-party apps that allowed for anonymous messages out of its developer platform and began a review of Snap Kit standards and policies. The decision came soon after the filing of a lawsuit related to the death of a teenager who was allegedly bullied through the apps, Yolo and LMK. The teen's mother sought to hold the makers of all three apps liable.

Of the more than 1,500 developers with access to Snap Kit, two percent will be affected by this policy, according to The Verge. Another rule change will impact three percent of Snap Kit developers: friend-finding apps will be restricted to those aged 18 and older. Snap is enacting that change to protect younger users and make things “more consistent with Snapchat’s use case — communications between close friends who already know each other.”