Snapchat finally removes ‘Speed Filter’ after years of criticism

Social media platform Snapchat has removed a feature called ‘Speed Filter’, which posted the speed of the user taking the photo through the app. The feature has been criticised by many globally and is linked to several fatal accidents.

The removal of the feature which was introduced back in 2013 was confirmed in the US on public radio broadcaster NPR by a spokesperson for Snapchat. While confirming the removal of the feature, they did not address the safety concerns surrounding it. Instead stating that users of Snapchat were no longer using the feature as much as they previously had and therefore, they decided to remove it altogether.

Although the move is welcomed by critics, they warn that it does not change the past. Smartphone usage while driving is still prevalent among all drivers and it along with the speed filter has been linked to several crashes and fatalities in the US. This includes a fatal accident in 2017 where the app captured the Snap user driving at 123 mph (197 km/h) and a 107 mph (172 km/h) crash that led to brain damage for the driver of a vehicle that was hit into by someone using the app.

Over the years as the app continued to receive criticism, Snapchat did cap the highest sharable speed at 35 mph (56 km/h) and added a ‘Don’t Snap and drive’ warning that appeared whenever the app was used in motion.

The exact reasons why Snapchat decided to drop the filter is unknown but is a smart move to remove yet another temptation for drivers to use their phone while driving.

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