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The policy states that Snap will delete accounts and data upon actual knowledge that a user is under 13, and that collection, use, and storage practices for users under 18 are subject to additional limitations not fully detailed in the main policy text. A separate Teens on Snapchat resource is referenced for additional protections.
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
This provision establishes COPPA-aligned age restrictions for under-13 users and states additional but unspecified data practice limitations for under-18 users. The trigger for account deletion is actual knowledge rather than a proactive verification standard, which may be relevant for COPPA compliance assessment. The Family Center feature is described separately as providing parental visibility into teen account activity.
Interpretive note: The policy describes under-18 data limitations as potential rather than categorical, and does not detail the specific collection or use restrictions applied to teen users in the main policy text, requiring review of the referenced supplemental resources.
Under this clause, accounts of users under 13 will be deleted upon Snap obtaining actual knowledge of the user's age. Users between 13 and 17 are subject to additional, partially unspecified limitations on data collection and use, and parents or guardians of teens can enable the Family Center feature to gain visibility into certain account activity.
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"Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and you must confirm that you are 13 years or older in order to create an account and use our Services. If we have actual knowledge that you are under the age of 13 (or the minimum age at which a person may use the Services in your state, province, or country without parental consent, if greater), we will stop providing Services to you and delete your account and data. In addition, we may also limit how we collect, use, and store some of the information of Snapchatters under 18.Excerpt from Snapchat's Privacy Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: COPPA requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13, and the actual knowledge standard referenced in the policy is the operative COPPA trigger for platforms not directed at children. The FTC is the primary COPPA enforcement authority. EU GDPR and member state implementations set minimum ages for digital consent, ranging from 13 to 16, which may affect the adequacy of Snap's age confirmation mechanism for EU teen users. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code imposes additional design and data protection requirements for services likely to be accessed by users under 18. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The reliance on user-confirmed age rather than proactive age verification for the under-13 threshold is consistent with COPPA's structure for platforms not directed at children, but may face scrutiny as regulatory expectations around age assurance evolve, particularly in the UK and EU. The under-18 limitations are described as potential rather than categorical, which may be assessed against the specificity requirements of applicable regulatory frameworks. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU member states with digital consent ages above 13 may require additional consent mechanisms for teen users. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code applies to services likely to be accessed by under-18s and imposes requirements beyond those described in the main policy. U.S. state-level children's privacy laws, including those recently enacted in several states, may impose additional requirements on data collection from minors. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Advertisers and integrated partners using Snap's platform should assess whether their data sharing practices with Snap adequately account for the possibility of teen user data being included in targeting or measurement datasets, particularly given the under-18 limitations stated in the policy. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should review the Teens on Snapchat resource and Family Center documentation referenced in the policy to assess whether the stated under-18 limitations are operationally implemented with sufficient specificity. Age verification and consent mechanism documentation should be audited against current regulatory guidance in EU member states and the UK. Organizations should monitor evolving state-level minor privacy legislation in the U.S. for additional obligations.
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, and regulatory mapping built from archived source documents and historical version tracking.
This provision establishes COPPA-aligned age restrictions for under-13 users and states additional but unspecified data practice limitations for under-18 users. The trigger for account deletion is actual knowledge rather than a proactive verification standard, which may be relevant for COPPA compliance assessment. The Family Center feature is described separately as providing parental visibility into teen account activity.
Under this clause, accounts of users under 13 will be deleted upon Snap obtaining actual knowledge of the user's age. Users between 13 and 17 are subject to additional, partially unspecified limitations on data collection and use, and parents or guardians of teens can enable the Family Center feature to gain visibility into certain account activity.
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