Snapchat: The controversial “speed filter” available on Snapchat, which was once quite popular on the platform, will be removed from the application. As reported by NPR on Thursday (17), concerns related to traffic safety would have led Snap to abandon the appeal.
Launched in 2013, the filter is used by drivers to record the speed at which they are driving, sharing the image with friends. But since its debut, it has been identified as a traffic hazard, as it would encourage reckless driving among users.
Over the time it was available on the app, Snap faced several lawsuits from family members of people injured or killed in accidents caused by speeding, allegedly occurred while using the filter. Despite this, the company has not responded to any of the requests to remove it.
But recent pressures from groups like End Distracted Driving seem to have changed the owner of Snapchat. A company spokesman told the publication that the feature is “almost not used by snapchatters”, prompting its removal.
Accidents related to filter use
Snapchat’s speed filter has been linked to several car accidents recently, resulting in many lawsuits in the US courts. In 2015, for example, a collision that left one of the drivers with permanent brain damage and an accident that ended with three young people dead gained prominence.
Two years later, another fatal crash generated repercussions. Shortly before the car in which they were hitting a tree, the occupants of a vehicle made a record with the filter at 197 km/h. In the crash, three people died.
Later, Snap even made some changes to the feature, including limiting the maximum speed to 56 km/h for sharing. But now, she has opted to delete it permanently, which should happen over the next few weeks.
