Snapchat condemns racism and acts against gender violence

Snapchat is one of the most popular platforms among young people. The application allows you to share audio, video, images or texts. Although social networks are a space that facilitates communication between people, recreation and moments to have fun, there are times when it is good for these companies so powerful and influential in the lives of users to take advantage of situations that are committed to society in general.
The latest news on Snapchat brings us information about actions that the company has taken in the face of the social protests that began in the United States over the murder of George Floyd and the production of videos with the aim of helping in situations of domestic violence.

Joint expression

Snapchat decided to speak out against racism after the United States was immersed days ago in a strong social crisis unleashed by the murder by the police of George Floyd, an African-American citizen of Minnesota victim of the violence of the authorities. The murder rekindled the historic, unsolved racial tension in the northern country, and riots, demonstrations and looting occurred in cities such as New York, Washington and Atlanta.
Aiming to take a common public stance on the conflict, Snapchat supported the African-American community in seeking justice alongside Intel Corp, Netflix, Nike and Facebook. Other major tech firms that chose the same stance were Spotify and Twitter.

Words from the CEO

Evan Spiegel is CEO of Snapchat. The 29-year-old is one of the most important businessmen in the sector in the world. On June 1, he published on the official website of Snap Inc an extensive letter where he expressed his rejection of the treatment that the African American community receives in the United States.
Spiegel's statement begins with an apology for the delay in issuing an opinion for which he says he feels bad and maintains that every minute that one remains silent collaborates with the actions of those who support bad actions. He also says he is "(...) heartbroken and enraged by the treatment black people and people of color receive in America."
Who was the founder of Snapchat with Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown in 2012, reviews in the statement how during his university training he saw injustices and spoke out against them. He also pauses to analyze the values ​​of society in the United States, which he criticizes for having given priority to business. Spiegel admits that while he knows that his company benefited from this situation, he believes that the country must adopt a change and proposes measures that can improve current inequality.
Lastly, he recognizes that an important change is necessary not only in the country but in the hearts of all, and calls for peace.

Steps to help

Long ago we have had news about Snapchat and social activities. The platform has a program called "Here For You" which addresses topics such as bullying, bullying, depression, anxiety and, recently, gender violence.
The application decided to work with the organization "National Network to End Domestic Violence". The group is a specialized network that was born in 1990 and deals with issues such as aggressive situations in homes, inequality, women's rights or housing problems.
With the advance of the covid-19 crisis that led the population to have to spend a large number of hours locked inside their homes, problems with anxiety, depression or violence increased. In order to collaborate with users to prevent these situations, Snapchat created content to offer help. The videos were recorded with audio and subtitles to provide tips to prevent or overcome complex situations that people go through.

The latest news on Snapchat and the position taken with other companies against racism are important at a time when a part of the population demands changes. Social networks are a prominent source of information and communication. Measures such as expressing a vision in conjunction with other companies in the sector or the actions taken in the “Here For You” program show that the firm led by Spiegel is no stranger to what is happening around him.