Snap has launched a new interactive digital safety course for teenagers and parents, with lessons focused on bullying, illicit drug activity, nude and intimate images, and sextortion.
The online programme, called The Keys: A Guide to Digital Safety, was developed with Common Sense Media. Safety experts contributed input, and members of Snap’s Teen Council for Digital Well-Being reviewed the material.
Snap presents the course as a practical skills programme rather than an awareness resource. It uses scenario-based learning and draws on an analogy with driver education, where classroom instruction is paired with practice and repetition.
Four risk areas
The course centres on situations many parents and schools identify as persistent online risks for adolescents. Bullying remains a central concern across social and messaging services, with group chats and private messages often cited as places where harassment can escalate quickly.
Illicit drug activity is a distinct risk category. Social platforms and messaging apps have faced scrutiny over how drug dealing and related content can circulate through private networks, coded language, or offers disguised as lifestyle posts.
Nude and intimate images form the third pillar. This category covers both consensual and non-consensual sharing and reflects the challenges teenagers face when images move between platforms and into private groups.
Sextortion is the fourth risk area, referring to coercive demands linked to intimate images or the threat of exposure. The topic has become a focus for policymakers and platforms because perpetrators often operate across multiple services and target teenagers at scale.
How the course works
The Keys takes about 45 minutes to complete. Participants can finish it in one sitting or pause and return later. The material includes video, interactive reflections, and scenario exercises.
The course is split into two sections. The first outlines the four risk areas and how they can appear across different platforms and services. The second covers Snapchat-specific safety features, settings, and reporting tools for people who use the app.
Snap recommends that teenagers complete the course with a parent, teacher, or trusted adult, framing it as a shared learning experience that encourages questions and discussion while moving through the material.
Alongside scenario work, the programme includes guidance on what to do when a difficult situation arises and highlights resources for seeking help when a potential threat to safety or wellbeing emerges.
Platform context
The launch comes as social platforms face ongoing pressure over youth safety. Messaging products, in particular, have drawn attention because harmful conduct can occur in private with limited visibility for moderators. Teenagers also move between multiple apps, complicating efforts to apply consistent safety habits.
The course also includes Snapchat-specific skills, reflecting a broader pattern of platforms pairing general online safety guidance with instructions tailored to their own tools and user journeys.
Snap already offers in-app features for parents and caregivers, including Family Centre and parental tools that show who a teenager is messaging on Snapchat and allow adults to manage certain settings.
Executive view
Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap’s Global Head of Platform Safety, said the course addresses a gap between general safety awareness and how teenagers respond in real situations.
“We developed The Keys because we saw an opportunity in teen-focused digital safety education,” said Jacqueline Beauchere, Global Head of Platform Safety, Snap. “This program goes beyond awareness; it builds practical skills by tackling the most challenging situations teenagers may face online. We hope The Keys helps provide teens with the critical thinking skills and confidence they need to navigate digital spaces safely.”
The approach reflects a wider shift in safety education towards practice-based learning. Schools and child safety groups are increasingly focusing on decision-making under pressure, rather than solely listing risks or rules. The Keys applies this logic through guided scenarios, with Snap arguing that rehearsal improves responses when teenagers face real messages, requests, or threats.
Beauchere is expected to discuss the course in the context of the four risk areas and the role of practical learning in online safety education.
