Snapchat ditches the speedometer vanity filter feature

Social medium Snapchat stops the filter that captures a speedometer that shows how hard the user is currently moving.

Snapchat tells NPR that the filter is almost out of Use and that this is the reason the company is quitting. That statement is striking, because the function has been criticized since its introduction in 2013.

Critics found the feature unsafe, as it encouraged users to play with the phone in the car. The criticism is not unfounded; there have been several, sometimes fatal accidents in the United States with teenagers taking a selfie with the speedometer filter behind the wheel.

These accidents have led to lawsuits in several cases. The most recent case concerns an accident in 2017, in which three teenagers were killed. Last week it was announced that the case could go ahead. So the timing of Snapchat is striking.

Although Snapchat, despite a number of lawsuits, has always refused to remove the feature, it has made some adjustments over the years. For example, a warning is given that Snapchat should not be used while driving and a maximum speed for the function is entered.