Snap Map
Searchable map of geotagged snaps.
URL
http://map.snapchat.com/
Description
Snap Maps is a feature of Snapchat that allows users to post images, videos, and text captions that are automatically tagged to a city, town, or place. Users can view public stories from most places around the world.
Access Snap Maps: Users open the Snapchat app on their mobile device and click on the location icon on the bottom left corner of the screen to access Snap Maps.
Explore Locations: Once on Snap Maps, users can explore different locations by zooming in and out on the map.
View Snaps: Snap Map posts appear as hot spots on a heat map. Users can click on the colored dots on the map to view public posts that are tagged as being posted from that location. The warmer the color of the hot spot means that there are more Snap Maps being posted there.
Filter Content: Use the search bar on the upper right corner to filter content by keywords. For example, if you're researching a specific event or topic, you can search for relevant keywords to find related Snaps.
Discover Specific Locations: Some specific places, such as museums, restaurants, and universities, appear automatically on the heat map. Users may also zoom in on the map to find these locations and view public posts that user have geotagged to that specific place.
Use Cases: Snap Maps can be a useful tool for gathering geospatial information and understanding real-time events.
Snap Maps is also a good place to start for investigations on human networks in specific locations. Snap Map posts are linked to a specific Snapchat user, which other users can click on to view the users' public profile. The public profile may include the users' Snapchat name, username, bio, and other public posts from the user.
Cost
Level of difficulty
Requirements
Users must access Snap Maps through a Snapchat account, which requires an email or phone number.
Limitations
Snap Maps is currently unavailable in Cuba, North Korea, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Snap Maps provides access to user-generated content in real-time, but the amount of data available may be limited depending on the location and user activity in that area. Some regions may have more active users and content than others, which can affect the quality and quantity of data for research.
Snap Maps may also sometimes have incorrect location tags.
Snap Maps has a limited search functionality. It does not allow users to filter posts by date, time, or a specific Snapchat user, unless you are "friends" with that user. This can make sorting through Snap Map posts for a specific research project very time consuming.
Snap Maps is not available on desktop, which can make it difficult to archive information. However, users may screen record while using Snap Maps to save posts for later use.
Ethical Considerations
Snap Maps displays user-generated content, which may include location data and personal information shared by individuals.
Guide
Tool provider
Snapchat, Snap Inc., USA
Bellingcat Volunteer Team
Last updated
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