Snapchat
- The policy allows AI training; it does not describe an opt-out.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- Staff may review your content; the policy does not describe an opt-out.
Snapchat collects a lot, trains AI on My AI chats, shows targeted ads.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
- Uses your content for AI training with no opt-out
Collected
Account info, Snaps, My AI chats, device and ad IDs, and sometimes contacts, photos, mic, and GPS.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you’ve explicitly granted device-level permissions, device information may also include information about your device phonebook (contacts and related information), images and other information from your device’s camera, photos, and microphone”
Training
They personalize the app and ads, and use My AI chats to improve AI models.
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Privacy policy
“For example, our algorithms and machine learning models take into account the conversations Snapchatters are having with My AI to improve the responses from My AI.”
Sharing
Friends, the public if you post publicly, service providers, ad and business partners, and law enforcement.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We share your information with business and integrated partners in order to provide the Services.”
Kept
Chats are meant to vanish in 24 hours, but they may keep other data and cannot promise a delete date.
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Privacy policy
“Although our systems are designed to delete some of your information automatically, we cannot promise that deletion will take place by a specific time.”
Controls
You can edit settings, change ads, download your data, and delete content or your account in the app.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“You can access, update, and delete your information, decide who can contact you, and download your data from within the Snapchat app.”
Fine print
You license your content to them; U.S.
No exact line could be verified.
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Turn down personalized ads
Advertising settings in the Snapchat app (Privacy Policy: Set advertising preferences)
Download a copy of your data
Download My Data tool in the Snapchat app
Delete your account
In-app account deletion (Privacy Policy links “learn how here”)
Opt out of U.S.
Mail Snap Inc., 3000 31st Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405.com
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
What you type to My AI can be used to train and improve their AI. The policy does not describe a way to turn that off.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“For example, our algorithms and machine learning models take into account the conversations Snapchatters are having with My AI to improve the responses from My AI.”
For example, a private vent to My AI could help shape how the bot answers other people later.
You still own your stuff, but you give Snap a wide right to use, change, and pass along your content to run and promote the app.
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Terms of service
“you grant Snap and our affiliates a worldwide, , , and transferable license to host, store, cache, use, display, reproduce, modify, adapt, edit, publish, analyze, transmit, and distribute that content”
For example, a Snap you post could be used to promote Snapchat or shared with partners who help run the service.
Public posts can be used forever by Snap, other users, and business partners, even commercially, with no pay to you.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Because Public Content is inherently public, you grant Snap, our affiliates, other users of the Services, and our business partners an unrestricted, worldwide, , , and right and license”
For example, a Spotlight video could show up in an ad or on a partner site and you would not get paid.
If your use of the app causes a lawsuit, you may have to cover Snap’s legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree, to the extent permitted by law, to , defend, and Snap, our affiliates, directors, officers, stockholders, employees, licensors, and agents”
For example, if someone sues Snap over a Snap you posted, you might have to pay their lawyers.
They build an interest profile from what you do and show you targeted ads. You can make ads less personalized in settings.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We use your interests and preferences from the information we’ve collected to personalize, target, and measure ads.”
For example, talking to My AI about coffee or saving coffee Snaps can lead to coffee-shop ads.
If you tap Allow, Snap can read contacts, camera roll, and the microphone, plus precise location.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you’ve explicitly granted device-level permissions, device information may also include information about your device phonebook (contacts and related information), images and other information from your device’s camera, photos, and microphone”
For example, allowing contacts can upload your address book so Snap can suggest friends.
They can shut down or limit your account for many reasons, and notice is not guaranteed.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“we may terminate these Terms, stop providing you with all or any part of the Services, or impose new or additional limits on your ability to use our Services.”
For example, a long unused account could be closed and the username taken.
Private Snaps and Chats with friends are not supposed to feed ads or recommendations.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We do not use the private content and communications you send to people who are your friends to personalize your experience, make recommendations, or show you ads.”
For example, a private Chat about a breakup should not be used to show you dating ads.
Unsaved chats are designed to disappear from Snap’s servers about a day after they are opened.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Snaps and Chats sent in Snapchat will be deleted by default from our servers within 24 hours after we detect they’ve been opened by all recipients or have expired, unless you’ve changed your default settings or decide to save something”
For example, a disappearing Chat you do not save should be gone from their servers the next day.
Face-depth data for Lenses is processed live and they say it is not stored or shared.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“On iOS we use Apple’s TrueDepth camera to improve the quality of Lenses. Note, however, that this information is used in real time — we don’t store this information on our servers or share it with third parties.”
For example, a face Lens uses your camera in the moment but that depth map is not kept on Snap’s servers.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- model training
- Using your content and conversations as examples to teach an AI system, which can then echo them in future answers. For example, a story you write in a chatbot may be studied by the company to make the next version of the bot.
- data portability
- Your right to get a copy of your data in a file you can take to another service. For example, you can download all your playlists and upload them to a rival music app.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
- sublicensable
- The company can pass its rights over your content on to other companies without asking you. For example, an app can let an advertiser or a partner reuse your video under the licence you gave.
- worldwide license
- You let the company use your content anywhere on earth, usually for free and for as long as it likes. For example, a video you post can be shown in ads in any country without asking you again.
- irrevocable
- Cannot be taken back or cancelled once given, even if you change your mind or delete your account. For example, an irrevocable licence to your photos means you cannot withdraw it later.
- perpetual
- Lasting forever, with no end date. For example, a perpetual licence means the company can keep using your video years after you leave.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
How we got here · grade F · score 31/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 1 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and content data plus usage, device and ad IDs, and—with permission—contacts, photos, microphone, and precise location, plus data from advertisers and other users.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
Voice, video, and face data in your content can be kept with your account. TrueDepth Lens data is real-time only and not stored. Face grouping in Memories is optional.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
They say My AI conversations are used to improve My AI models. The documents do not describe an opt-out for that training use.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They reserve the right to access, review, screen, and delete content at any time, including with automated tools for safety. No review opt-out is described.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They target ads from your activity and also use cookies and data from advertisers and partners. You can make ads less personalized in the app.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share with service providers, business and integrated partners, affiliates, and advertisers. Ad preferences and some regional rights let you object or reduce personalization.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership, but you grant a worldwide, sublicensable, transferable license. Public content gets an irrevocable, perpetual license to Snap, users, and partners.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can delete some content and your account in the app, and chats are designed to vanish in 24 hours, but they say they cannot promise deletion by a specific time and may keep data for legal or abuse reasons.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They infer interests and age from activity and content for personalization. Ad settings exist, but there is no full view-edit-off memory product described.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They mention two-factor authentication, scanning URLs, and automated safety tools. No independent audit or bug-bounty program is described here.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be 13+ and confirm your age. They may use age-assurance tools and limit collection and features for people under 18.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The policies are dated September 21, 2026. They say they will give a heads-up and reasonable advance notice of material terms changes.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may restrict or terminate for any reason, including inactivity, and say they cannot guarantee notice in all cases. You can delete your account.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is, liability is capped at $100 or what you paid in 12 months, and you must indemnify Snap for claims tied to your use or content.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Not stated in the documents.
The privacy policy is 5,553 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 36.8); the terms are 16,685 words at a college graduate level.
