Snap hires first Global Head of Platform Safety

Snap Inc. has hired Jacqueline Beauchere, the current chief online safety officer at Microsoft, to be its first-ever global head of platform safety, a spokesperson tells Axios.

Why it matters: The move reflects a growing effort by Snapchat to invest in more initiatives that focus on user safety and wellbeing.

• For example, Snap launched its first-ever digital literacy program in January. Last year, it launched new features with the meditation app Headspace.
• Snapchat was designed to be mindful of issues like privacy, misinformation and harassment, which has, to date, helped it avoid some of the regulatory headaches that its competitors are now dealing with.

Details: In her new role, Beauchere will oversee all of Snapchat's efforts around safety. She will also help advise on the development of new policies and guidelines, features and tools around safety and well-being, per a spokesperson.

• Beauchere will report to Snap VP of global policy Jennifer Stout and will work closely with other internal teams that support Snapchat's safety and wellness efforts.
• “We are committed to helping parents, stakeholders and advocates understand how young people experience our products and how we approach critical issues around safety and trust," said Stout.
• "There is no one better suited to help us accomplish this than Jacqueline, and this work will only become more important as we deepen our focus into augmented reality and the future of computing.”

Catch up quick: Beauchere has long been an online safety advocate, having sat on numerous boards that represent child safety and cyber safety in the technology industry. She previously served as Microsoft’s representative to the Family Online Safety Institute and the National Cyber Security Alliance, among others.

The big picture: She's part of a growing list of senior executives that Snapchat has poached from its Big Tech competitors recently.