What you're agreeing to

Snapchat grants Snap a broad license to your content and can use your snaps in their promotional materials. Content you share to public Stories can be distributed publicly even after you delete it.

Privacy in plain English

Snapchat collects your precise location through Snap Map, your contacts, and detailed usage patterns. Snap shares data with advertising partners and builds behavioral profiles despite the app's ephemeral image.

Terms of Service: Breakdown

Concerning Clauses

• - Snap can use content you post to public Stories in advertising and promotional materials globally.
• Snap can terminate your account and you lose all Memories and saved content immediately.
• The arbitration clause prevents US users from joining class-action lawsuits against Snap.

Data Sharing

• - Your ad profile including age, location, and interests is shared with Snap's advertising partners.
• Third-party advertisers on Snapchat can use tracking pixels that follow you across other apps.

Known Incidents

• - 2014: A breach exposed usernames and phone numbers of 4.6 million Snapchat users, published publicly online.
• 2024: Internal documents revealed Snap employees had abused an internal tool to access user data and spy on users.

Privacy Policy: Breakdown

Privacy Issues

• - Snap Map shares your precise real-time location with friends by default and Snap logs this data.
• Snapchat scans your snaps using automated systems for policy enforcement, meaning content is processed server-side.

Who Gets Your Data

• - Location and behavioral data are shared with advertising partners to enable targeted ads. - Third-party companies integrated into Snapchat's ad network receive tracking data from your device.

Safer Alternatives

Similar services with a lower risk score.