Snapchat is not for children under 13, and Snap states it does not knowingly collect data from under-13 users. Users aged 13-17 receive more private default settings and restricted advertising targeting compared to adult users.
This analysis describes what Snapchat's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The policy states protections for teen users including restricted advertising defaults, but the effectiveness of these protections depends on Snap's ability to verify user ages, which is an ongoing regulatory focus in both the US and UK for platforms with large teen user bases.
Interpretive note: The effectiveness and sufficiency of Snap's age verification and teen protection mechanisms cannot be assessed from the policy text alone; regulatory determinations about adequacy depend on operational implementation.
Snapchat's privacy policy now includes expanded language describing how the platform collects, processes, and shares user data. The updated policy discloses additional practices and operational proce…
The policy states that users under 13 are prohibited from the service and that teens aged 13-17 receive additional privacy defaults and advertising restrictions. Parents and guardians of minor users should be aware that age verification relies on user-provided information and that additional regional protections may apply under COPPA and the UK Age Appropriate Design Code.
How other platforms handle this
The Services are not directed to children under the age of 13. If you are under 13 years of age, then please do not use or access the Services at any time or in any manner. If we learn that personally identifiable information has been collected on the Services from persons under 13 years of age and ...
Replit does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Users between the ages of 13 and 18 may use the platform with parental or guardian consent. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete...
Children under 13 are not allowed to use Pinterest. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that a child...
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"Our services are not directed to people under the age of 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use the services or submit any personal information to us... For users between 13 and 17, we provide additional privacy protections, such as defaulting to more private settings and limiting certain types of advertising. We do not allow interest-based advertising targeting for users under 13 and apply additional restrictions on how we use and share personal information of users between 13 and 17.— Excerpt from Snapchat's Snap Privacy Policy
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), enforced by the FTC, which prohibits collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code), enforced by the ICO, imposes design and default requirements for services likely to be accessed by users under 18. The DSA (Digital Services Act) in the EU imposes obligations on very large online platforms regarding minor users. FTC enforcement actions against social platforms for COPPA violations have resulted in significant penalties. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. Snap's large user base skews young, and regulators in both the US and UK have scrutinized whether Snap's age verification and default privacy settings for teens adequately satisfy legal requirements. The policy's reliance on self-reported age creates a known gap in COPPA compliance that has been a focus of FTC attention across the social media sector. JURISDICTION FLAGS: COPPA applies to US-based users under 13. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code applies to any service likely to be accessed by under-18 users in the UK. EU DSA and GDPR impose additional obligations. California's AADC (Age-Appropriate Design Code Act) has been subject to litigation but may impose additional requirements for California minor users depending on its legal status. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Schools or other institutions that may facilitate access to Snap services for minor users should assess their own obligations under FERPA and COPPA. Advertising partners receiving data through Snap's platform should confirm that data from minor users is segregated and not used for targeting. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether current age-gate and age-verification mechanisms meet COPPA's verifiable parental consent standard. The operational definition of 'additional restrictions' for 13-17 users should be documented and audited. UK teams should confirm compliance with the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code default settings requirements.
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The policy states protections for teen users including restricted advertising defaults, but the effectiveness of these protections depends on Snap's ability to verify user ages, which is an ongoing regulatory focus in both the US and UK for platforms with large teen user bases.
The policy states that users under 13 are prohibited from the service and that teens aged 13-17 receive additional privacy defaults and advertising restrictions. Parents and guardians of minor users should be aware that age verification relies on user-provided information and that additional regional protections may apply under COPPA and the UK Age Appropriate Design Code.
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