Snapchat · Snapchat Terms of Service

Age Restriction & Minimum Age Requirement

High severity
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What it is

Snapchat is not for anyone under 13, and Snap says it will delete personal information if it discovers it was collected from a child under 13.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Children under 13 who use Snapchat may have their personal data — including photos, location data, and usage patterns — collected and processed without the legally required parental consent under COPPA, exposing both the child and Snap to significant privacy risks.

Cross-platform context

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

COPPA requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13; Snap's self-attestation age verification model has been the subject of prior regulatory scrutiny and may not constitute adequate compliance.

View original clause language
The Services are not directed at children under the age of 13. If you are under 13 years of age, please do not use the Services. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete such information.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly engages COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) 15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq. and 16 C.F.R. Part 312, enforced by the FTC. It also implicates GDPR Art. 8 (child consent — 16 years or lower threshold set by member states, minimum 13) for EEA users, UK GDPR Art. 8 and the ICO's Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code), and KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) proposals under consideration in the US.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC is the primary enforcement authority for COPPA and has previously taken action against Snap for data practices; parents can file complaints if they believe their child's data was collected without consent.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Snapchat Terms of Service
Entity
Snapchat
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
April 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003987
Document ID
CA-D-00103
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
f926941156a952503e2f1211fadd96cd570e820a4db585304bdad744f2862fe5
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Snapchat | Document: Snapchat Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-003987
Captured: 2026-04-28 09:50:27 UTC | SHA-256: f926941156a95250…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/snapchat/snapchat-terms-of-service/age-restriction-minimum-age-requirement/
Accessed: April 29, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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