Snapchat speed filter was removed from its Snapchat app that was accused of encouraging reckless driving.
Released eight years ago, the filter allowed you to take a photo or video that was overlaid with a reading of the speed at which you were moving.
Safety advocates have long complained that the filter encourages people to drive dangerously, often so they can brag to friends by sharing their speeding antics with them.
Accidents caused by drivers using the filter have prompted some affected families to sue California-based Snap.
The company confirmed to NPR this week that it has decided to remove the filter from the app because it is now “barely used by Snapchatters users.”
The company began removing the filter this week, but said it could be several weeks before the removal process covers all 500 million of its monthly active users.
What We Can Learn About Collaboration by Studying the NSA in 2021
Reckless Driving
In Atlanta in 2016, an 18-year-old woman crashed into an Uber driver at 107 mph, leaving the victim with serious head injuries. Her accusers said she was trying to time her speed using a Snapchat speed filter at the time of the crash.
Snapchat’s controversial speed filter has also been linked to a 2015 car crash in Philadelphia that killed three women and a high-speed crash in Florida the following year that killed five people. In Wisconsin in 2017, three men died in a crash in which one of the victims captured a Snap filter at 123 mph in the lead-up to a collision.
The tragic incidents prompted Snap to make some changes to the feature, including adding the message, “Please DO NOT SLEEP or drive.” According to NPR, Snap has also “quietly limited the maximum speed at which the message can be shared” to 35 mph.
TikTok takes over the top sponsor spot at VidCon, edging out YouTube
The news outlet also noted that Snap is still involved in legal battles related to its speed filter. A federal appeals court recently ruled that the family of a Wisconsin crash victim should be able to sue Snap for negligence. Just this week, Snap requested that the case be dismissed, arguing that the speed filter should not be to blame for the fatal accident.
Digital Trends has reached out to Snap for further comment on its decision to remove the speed filter, and we will update this article if we get a response.
