Could Snapchat now be emerging as the most respectable of the major social media apps?
The ephemeral messaging app, which rose to fame on the back of controversial content, and its subsequent popularity among teen users, has been steadily building its business over the past few years, slowly, and with some setbacks, but steadily on its own path.
And this week, amid swirling questions around other apps, Snap’s chief Evan Spiegel has taken a step forward in offering support for the victims of the Los Angeles fires, in a way that other tech CEOs could learn from.
As per Spiegel:
“Los Angeles, my heart breaks for you, and yet I love you even more. This melting pot of creativity, innovation, and storytelling. This city of angels, who, covered in soot, are already beginning again. For each looter, thousands upon thousands are giving their time, their treasure and their prayers. For every coward, there is courage overflowing. For each finger pointed in blame, thousands of hands are hard at work to heal and bring hope.”
X owner Elon Musk has been among those pointing fingers over the fires, and the alleged failures of local government, while other tech CEOs have been largely silent, and have not yet offered any public support packages for the region.
But Spiegel, along with Snapchat co-founder Bobby Murphy, has committed $5 million in immediate aid, while also pledging to do more in the recovery process:
“We are feeding evacuees and first responders and offering free space. We’re listening to experts on megafire recovery and learning every day what more we can do and how we can rise to the challenge. We want to collaborate and build together with you.”
Spiegel says that more than 150 Snap team members have been displaced by the disaster, which also burned down his father’s home, where the app was originally founded and launched.
So Spiegel obviously has a more personal connection to the region. Yet, even so, Snapchat is a lot smaller than the other tech giants, who instead have been caught up in their own battles around free speech and censorship.
No doubt all of them will eventually offer a level of support, but it is interesting to see Snapchat taking the lead here.
The app which essentially popularized sexting has grown up, and in a time of need, it’s now Snap that we can look to as an example of mature, measured leadership.
