SNAPCHAT is a hugely popular messaging app among children and adults.
But do you have to be a certain age to use it? And is it safe for children to use? Here’s all you need to know.
1
What is the Snapchat age limit?
Snapchat is hugely popular among kids and you may be surprised to learn that there is an age restriction for using it.
The minimum age you can become a Snapchat user is 13 years old.
This is the same for most other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
This limit has been dictated by US law through the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
However, it can be very easy for children to circumvent this simply by entering a false date of birth.
On Snapchat there is no means to verify the age of a user, meaning people of any age are able to create accounts.
Is Snapchat safe for kids?
Hundreds of millions of Snaps are sent every day across the globe and, like the rest of the internet, there’s no guarantee that the content kids come across will be safe or appropriate for them.
There are some things you can do to make the platform safer for your child.
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Within the app you can adjust the privacy settings and enable restrictions that mean they’ll only be visible online and able to share content with contacts that have been approved.
It will also prevent them from exposure to sexual material and being targeted by strangers.
What are the dangers of Snapchat?
Snapchat is used by millions of users to connect with friends and family.
But users, and those who have children on the platform should be aware that people have fallen victim to scams and sexual predators on the platform, and that it’s sensible to take precautions to protect yourself.
You can get tips from Snapchat on how to stay safe on the app here.
