Snapchat condemns cruelty in animal pics

SOCIAL media giant Snapchat has hit out at users who share images of animal cruelty on its app.

The RSPCA has claimed that youngsters are sharing sickening photos on the platform believing they are ‘invincible and untraceable’.

The picture and video sharing app deletes them after a number of seconds.

Snapchat has said it condemns the sharing of such cruelty, and has urged anyone who sees images to report them.

A spokesman for Snapchat said: “This sort of cruelty is illegal and should never be broadcast on Snapchat.

“We encourage anyone who sees something like this anywhere to always report it.”

The spokesman said users of Snapchat can report violations of the app’s guidelines.

They say they have a dedicated Trust and Safety team which reviews abuse reports and takes action.

They also said because content is shared differently, it is ‘very hard’ for images to go viral because they are deleted and not publicly shared.

In 2015 the RSPCA received 27 reports of cruelty referencing Snapchat across the country, which has increased to 119 this year.

One of the incidents reported was in Greater Manchester.

Dave Allen, head of education and advice at the RSPCA, is calling on young people to be educated about the issue and to report any incidents.