Snapchat
Please use this guide for more information on Snapchat's privacy settings.
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a communication service popular among teens and adults. Users can take photos, record videos, add text or drawings (called Snaps) and send them to Friends.
Snaps disappear after the recipients view it, or within 24 hours (for a Story or Chat). Snapchat automatically deletes the Snap from its servers unless the users save the content.
Typically, users cannot retrieve opened Snaps from the app’s servers. However, parents and teens should report concerns and issues to Snapchat. In these cases, the platform can preserve relevant data for law enforcement. However, the ability to preserve data also depends on the user’s activity and privacy settings.
Snapchat is available for both Android and iOS users and is free to download. However, there is a premium subscription to the app also available for purchase called Snapchat+.
What is the minimum age?
Like many other social networks and messaging apps, the minimum age to use Snapchat is 13. Additionally, users under 18 must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to use the app. Parents can set up Family Centre to help monitor their teens’ safety on the app.
Research shows that children under 13 use the service, despite the age requirement. However, Snapchat says it removes any accounts that belong to an underage user.
Children who use social media underage face additional online risks. Until they reach the age minimum, consider these alternatives suitable for under-13s.
Snapchat risks
Similar to other social media platforms, common risks on Snapchat include:
- contact from potentially harmful strangers
- seeing inappropriate content
- endless scrolling (or ‘doom scrolling’)
- bullying, harassment or hate from both friends and strangers
- disappearing messages, which can make it hard to collect evidence in cases of bullying or similar behaviours.
Snapchat has its own Community Guidelines to help users stay safe. Inappropriate content, bullying and other such issues go against these guidelines. However, if your child does see something upsetting, they should report it in-app.
How Snapchat uses AI
Snapchat offers users the option to engage with an artificial intelligence tool called My AI. It appears in users’ contact lists automatically. Unlike other contacts, users cannot delete My AI unless you have Snapchat+, Snapchat’s premium subscription option.
My AI works like any other chatbot, allowing users to have conversations with AI. Like ChatGPT, it can also provide more detailed answers like the solution to a Maths problem. With any AI tool, it’s important that children understand appropriate and inappropriate ways to use it.
What data does My AI collect?
Like ChatGPT, My AI collects data from conversations users have with it. With location enabled, My AI can use that to help answer questions users ask it. If you share content like written messages or Snaps, My AI keeps that data as well. This helps it ‘learn’ facts about users to better answer questions.
According to the Snapchat’s Help Centre, users should avoid sharing confidential or sensitive information with My AI. Additionally, it is against the rules to ask My AI to generate harmful content. This includes content which promotes violence, self-harm, human trafficking or any content that goes against the Community Guidelines.
How do I delete data from My AI?
If your child regularly uses My AI, get into the habit of routinely deleting their data. You can do this by going to their account Privacy Controls in their Settings, selecting ‘Clear Data’ and then choosing ‘Clear My AI Data.’
Additionally, make sure you talk to your child about what is okay to share with artificial intelligence.