Are you aware of safety concerns tied to Snapchat's Snap Map feature?

Police warn parents to check kids' phones

ROANOKE, Va. – Police in departments across the country are warning parents to be aware of a new feature added to the Snapchat application.

The new Snap Map feature allows for a user's friends to track that person’s exact location. The feature also gives users an option to share videos with strangers.

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Police are advising parents to make sure the "ghost mode" setting is active to prevent the child from being tracked by the GPS software.

Oftentimes, teenagers don't know every person they add as friends on Snapchat, so checking your child's privacy settings is critical.

[Click here to find out how to disable Snap Map feature]

Snapchat said the software is aimed at helping close friends stay connected.

“The safety of our community is very important to us and we want to make sure that all Snapchatters, parents and educators have accurate information about how the Snap Map works," Snapchat representatives said in a statement. "With Snap Map, location-sharing is off by default for all users and is completely optional. Snapchatters can choose exactly who they want to share their location with, if at all, and can change that setting at any time. It’s also not possible to share your location with someone who isn’t already your friend on Snapchat, and the majority of interactions on Snapchat take place between close friends.”