The company has announced that due to the EU’s new data protection rules, which come into effect in May, it is changing the way the Snap Maps feature of its Snapchat app processes user data for those under 16, reports the Financial Times. The new laws require companies to obtain permission from the parent or legal guardian of anyone who is under 16 in order to process certain types of their data. Instead of going through those steps, Snap has opted to stop processing any data that might require parental consent–this includes retaining a user’s geodata such as location history, the data that powers Snap Maps. Snap Maps has previously come under criticism for being too precise when showing a user’s location–something that raised safety concerns over the children using it.
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