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Snapchat turns off controversial ‘Solar System’ feature by default after bad press

Less than a week after The Wall St. Journal reported on how a Snapchat feature dubbed "solar system" was adding to teens' anxiety, the company has

It also offers a private feature called “Best Friends” that puts the people with whom you communicate most at the top of your contact list, along with a heart or smiley emoji, The WSJ pointed out. After much backlash from parents and families, lawmakers, and regulators alike over the feature’s addictive nature and psychological harms, Snap last year introduced a way to pause your streaks. While Snap promises in its blog post that it’s “committed to mitigating the potential downsides of online communication wherever possible,” it has intentionally built features and tools that have at least left it open to lawsuits and Congressional, if not worse.

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