Snapchat has launched a new in-app feature, “Here For You,” which connects Canadian users with mental health, well-being and digital literacy resources from a network of trusted organizations.
Developed in partnership with 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Jack.org, Kids Help Phone, MediaSmarts and Tel-jeunes in Quebec, the feature is designed to provide support in both English and French for users seeking help with mental health concerns or exploring related topics. When users search for terms related to mental health topics, such as anxiety, depression, grief, suicide or bullying, the app will deliver content and resources from local organizations.
According to Snapchat, the platform reaches 90% of Canadians aged 13 to 24, making it an important channel for delivering information to this demographic. “We understand that teens and young adults face unique challenges, and we want to ensure they have a safe and private way to access credible support if and when they need it,” Bob Cornwall, recently appointed Snap’s general manager for Canada, said in a news release.
The feature is also currently available in the U.S., U.K., India, France, the Netherlands and Australia.
The launch coincides with broader efforts by Snapchat and other social networks to strengthen protections for younger users, particularly those aged 13 to 17.
Over the past year, Snapchat has limited teen contact to friends and phone contacts, removed teen profiles from search results unless they share mutual friends and expanded safety tools, including streamlined blocking, confidential reporting and parent-specific controls. Location-sharing features now allow parents to monitor up to three designated areas – like “home,” “school” and “gym” – and receive notifications when a family member enters or leaves these locations.
Meta has also updated Facebook and Instagram to hide search results related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, preventing teens from seeing this content in their Feed or Stories, even if shared by accounts they follow. And TikTok has also been implementing safeguards, including parental controls, screen-time limits and age restrictions on features such as direct messaging.
The company recently co-operated with a joint investigation by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and provincial privacy authorities in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, which found that hundreds of thousands of Canadian children access TikTok each year and that the platform collected and used their personal information in ways that do not comply with Canadian privacy laws. TikTok committed to implementing measures recommended by the commissioners, including making its privacy policy clearer on how users’ data could be used, expanding the privacy information available to all Canadian users in English and French and outlining users’ rights to access or update the information about them that TikTok holds.
These updates come amid growing scrutiny of social media platforms’ impact on young users in Canada. Last year, a group of Ontario school boards and private schools joined an existing lawsuit against Snapchat, TikTok and Meta, alleging that the platforms are disrupting student learning and the education system. In March, a judge cleared the way for the Toronto District School Board’s lawsuit, which represents multiple boards, to move forward, finding that the case has legal merit.
Meanwhile, the British Columbia government abandoned its proposed Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act (Bill 12) after reaching agreements with several social media platforms to enhance youth safety. Introduced in March 2024, the bill would have allowed the province to pursue damages from platforms for harm experienced by children and teens.
