Snapchat are moving to ban ‘explicit content’

This will be one of the biggest changes in the platform's history.

How do you use Snapchat? If all you do is send your friends updates on the varying levels of hungover you're feeling right now, then this probably won't affect you. However, if you're one of the 100 million regular users of the Discover feed then big changes are coming, with Snapchat planning to crack down on explicit images and fake news on the platform. The New York Times have reported that the company is taking a hard line on misleading content, and is banning profanity, overly sexualized content, and violent content except in rare cases where certain news stories comes with appropriate warnings. Crucially, publishers will be able to filter content for users younger than 18 from next month onwards. The company told Buzzfeed News: "It’s been two years since we first launched Discover. During that time, our partners’ editorial content has continued to evolve in look and feel, and we felt our guidelines should be updated to thoroughly reflect these changes." Unlike Facebook and Twitter - whose reluctance to fight fake news and certain scams have drawn criticism in recent months - Snapchat has largely stayed free of controversy due to the tight controls it holds over its Discover section, partnering only with reputable publishers (depending on how you view the likes of the Daily Mail, of course).