NEW YORK, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The latest update from the image and video sharing mobile application Snapchat has raised parents' concerns over children safety as it shows posted images and videos on a searchable map.
Snap Map, launched on Wednesday, features a location-sharing mode that allows users to see where their contacts are on a map.
It also lets people search for specific places such as schools and view snaps posted by students inside.
The application, a product of the U.S.-based technology company Snap Inc., is wildly popular among teenagers since it was released six years ago.
Although the company said that accurate locations could help friends to find each other in crowded places, people have expressed concerns online that the service could be used for stalking and it might violate people's privacy.
"Please remove this feature," Amelia Mills tweeted, "it is a complete invasion of privacy, encouraging stalking and more."
Police office in Preston, a British coastal city, has warned parents to turn off the map on their children's phones. "Obviously this may cause concern for certain users, particularly those who have young children who use the app," it wrote on its Facebook page.
As a response, the Snapchat Support account pinned a tweet on Friday, suggesting users "choose who to share your location with" when entering Snap Map the first time.
