What you gave up

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Snapchat

What Snapchat's terms of service and privacy policy take from you today, and every material change. Read as served in: European Union, United States, United Kingdom, Australia. 12 material changes published.

EU European Union copy

Watched since 13 APR 2026 · 40 archived versions read · Terms of Service, Privacy Policy

Dossier for this region is being prepared.

US United States copy

Watched since 13 APR 2026 · 40 archived versions read · Terms of Service, Privacy Policy

Where you stand today

Snapchat takes a broad, sublicensable licence over everything you post or type into its AI features, and you give up court and class actions unless you opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first becoming subject to it.

✓ 27 of 27 quotes matched in source
Documents read
Terms of Service · captured 09 NOV 2026 · 24,026 words · United States
Privacy Policy · captured 08 NOV 2026 · 10,662 words · United States

Privacy

Snap collects broad data including location, inferences and content, uses it for ads, and its AI features use your chats and location for personalisation and ads.

Finding01
major

My AI chats and location used for ads

What you tell My AI, plus your location if enabled, is used to improve products and personalise your experience including ads. Anything sensitive you share is used by My AI.

“When you interact with My AI, we also use the content you share and your location (if you have enabled location sharing with Snapchat) to improve Snap’s products, including enhancing My AI’s safety and security, and to personalise your experience, including ads.”Exhibit · Privacy Policy✓ matched in source
Finding02
notable

Memories photos scanned and labelled for ads

Snap analyses your saved Snaps, and camera roll content if you grant access, to infer your interests and show related content and ads.

“if you save lots of Snaps of your dog in Memories we can recognize that there is a dog and personalize your experience by showing you Spotlight Snaps or ads about the cutest dog toys!”Exhibit · Privacy Policy✓ matched in source
Finding03
notable

Location data stored and used for ad personalisation

Snap keeps GPS locations for a while and uses geolocation to serve more personalised ads.

“We also use geolocation data to serve more personalized ads to you in the app.”Exhibit · Privacy Policy✓ matched in source

Countermeasures

  • Turn off activity-based ads in the app, or use Global Privacy Control signals
  • Precise location sharing is off by default and you can disable it
  • Download or delete your data

AI and your content

You keep ownership but grant Snap a wide, sublicensable licence over your content, including AI inputs and outputs, and human reviewers may see it for model improvement with no opt-out stated.

Finding01
major

Your content used to improve AI models, with human review

Snap may use what you submit and what AI generates to improve its underlying models, and people may review or label it. No opt-out is stated.

“we may use the content and feedback you submit and the generated content to improve the quality and safety of our products and features. This includes improving the underlying machine learning models and algorithms”Exhibit · Privacy Policy✓ matched in source
Finding02
major

Broad, sublicensable licence including your likeness and voice

Snap and its affiliates can modify, publish and distribute everything you post, including the name, image, likeness or voice of anyone in it, and pass these rights to service providers.

“you grant Snap and our affiliates a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to host, store, cache, use, display, reproduce, modify, adapt, edit, publish, analyze, transmit, and distribute that content”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding03
major

Public Content licence is irrevocable and uncompensated

Public posts can be used by Snap, other users and business partners for commercial purposes forever, with no payment to you.

“you grant Snap, our affiliates, other users of the Services, and our business partners an unrestricted, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, and perpetual right and license to create derivative works from”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source

Countermeasures

  • Control who sees your content and tailor audience settings
  • Delete your selfie used for Cameos and restrict others' use

Your legal rights

US users are bound to individual arbitration with class action and jury waivers, a liability cap of $100, and California law and courts, unless they opt out within 30 days.

Finding01
major

Mandatory arbitration and class action waiver

Almost all disputes go to individual arbitration, so you cannot sue in court or join a class action. The waiver also applies to claims that arose before these Terms.

“YOU AND SNAP WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS TO GO TO COURT AND HAVE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF A JUDGE OR A JURY.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding02
major

Liability capped at $100 or what you paid

Even if Snap is at fault, your recovery is limited to the greater of $100 or what you paid in the past 12 months.

“IN NO EVENT WILL OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE SERVICES EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 USD OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE ACTIVITY GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding03
notable

You must send a pre-arbitration demand and wait 60 days

Before filing, you must mail a individualized written demand and wait 60 days, or your arbitration can be dismissed.

“You agree that compliance with this subsection is a condition precedent to commencing arbitration, and that the arbitrator shall dismiss any arbitration filed without fully and completely complying with these informal dispute resolution procedures.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source

Countermeasures

  • Opt out of arbitration in writing within 30 days
  • Small claims court remains available

Your account

Snap can change features and terms, remove content, and end your account at any time for any reason, sometimes without notice.

Finding01
notable

Termination for any reason, notice not guaranteed

Snap can end or limit your account for any reason, including inactivity, and reclaim your username. Notice isn't guaranteed.

“We may restrict, terminate, or temporarily suspend your access to the Services if you fail to comply with these Terms, our Community Guidelines or the law, for reasons outside of our control, or for any other reason.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding02
notable

Services can be changed or stopped without notice

Features or the whole service can disappear at any time without warning.

“We may take any of these actions at any time for any reason, and when we do, we may not provide you with any notice beforehand.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding03
notable

Memories not guaranteed to persist

Saved content can vanish, including if Snap terminates your account, so you need your own backup.

“Your content in Memories might become unavailable for any number of reasons, including things like an operational glitch or a decision on our end to terminate your account.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source

Countermeasures

  • Delete your account to end the Terms
  • Appeal moderation decisions

Money

Subscriptions auto-renew, sales are final, and Snap can change prices, features or cancel access without refund.

Finding01
notable

All sales final, no refunds on termination

Except where the law requires, you get no refund if Snap suspends or ends your paid access, even mid-period.

“All sales are final and we do not offer any refunds or credits except as required by applicable law or as otherwise set out in these Snap Paid Features Terms.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding02
notable

Free trials convert to paid automatically

If you forget to cancel a promotional offer, your card is charged the full fee until you cancel.

“OTHERWISE, YOU AUTHORIZE US OR YOUR PURCHASE PROVIDER TO CHARGE YOUR CREDIT CARD OR OTHER DESIGNATED BILLING METHOD THE FULL FEES FOR THE FOLLOWING BILLING PERIOD(S) UNTIL YOU CANCEL”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source

Countermeasures

  • Cancel a subscription before renewal in settings

Government access

Snap may give your account data and content to law enforcement and other third parties when you break the rules, and shares EU orders without contesting conflicts of law.

Finding01
major

Data given to law enforcement for rule violations

If Snap thinks you violated the Terms, it may notify third parties and hand over your account data, not only on a legal order.

“notify third parties — including law enforcement — and provide those third parties with data and any other information relating to your account.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source
Finding02
notable

EU orders honoured without contesting legal conflicts

Snap may share user content in response to EU orders through an EU affiliate without challenging possible conflicts with other laws.

“Snap may share the requested information — which can include user content — through one of our EU affiliates, without contesting potential conflicts of law.”Exhibit · Terms of Service✓ matched in source

Machine-checked: every point was re-checked against the documents by a second, independent model pass; not yet read by a person

UK United Kingdom copy

Watched since 13 APR 2026 · 42 archived versions read · Terms of Service, Privacy Policy

Dossier for this region is being prepared.

AU Australia copy

Watched since 14 APR 2026 · 44 archived versions read · Terms of Service, Privacy Policy

Dossier for this region is being prepared.

Timeline

Changes to Snapchat's terms

08 NOV 2026notable
Snapchat removes the detailed body of its Consumer Health Data section

US Privacy Policy · machine-checked

07 NOV 2026minor
Snapchat clarifies My AI keeps chats but only uses the last 24 hours for responses

EU Privacy Policy · AI training: reworded

07 NOV 2026minor
Snapchat's separate My Selfie Terms disappear from the recorded Terms of Service page

US Terms of Service · AI training: narrowed · machine-checked

07 NOV 2026minor
Snapchat clarifies My AI keeps chats but only uses the last 24 hours for responses

US Privacy Policy · AI training: reworded

05 AUG 2026notable
Snapchat adds age verification wording and optional face grouping in Memories to its privacy policy

US Privacy Policy · AI training: reworded · machine-checked