A Policy Primer - SnapChat

SNAPCHAT
A Policy Primer
Photo by Flickr User @AdamPrzezdziek

T. Franklin Waddell.
“a mobile messaging application where photographs,
text, and video are ephemeral (e.g., disappearing
within 10 seconds) rather than permanent.”
Waddell,T. F. (2016).The Allure of Privacy or the Desire for Self-Expression? Identifying Users’ Gratiﬁcations for Ephemeral,
Photograph-Based Communication. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(7), 441–445. https://doi.org/10.1089/
cyber.2015.0677

Snapchat is governed by two main Policies.
The “Terms Of Service” & Privacy Policy.  
“We’ve drafted these Terms of Service (which we call the “Terms”) so
you’ll know the rules that govern our relationship with users. “ 
Terms of Service – Snap Inc. https://www.snap.com/en-US/terms/

Clicking “I agree” is a digital version of signing a contract.

Snapchat grants users a royalty free license to
use their services, provided users adhere to the
TOS and other usage policies.  
 
Users must be over 13 and legally able to enter
into a binding contract to use their service.  
 
Snapchat does not verify this except for services
requiring a credit card.

PROHIBITED CONTENT
• Content that violates someones privacy, copyright,
trademark, or intellectual-property.
• Content that aims to defame, bully, harass, or intimidate.
• Content containing pornography, graphic violence,
threats, hate speech, or incitements to violence.
• Spam or solicitation attempts.

Image by Flickr User @Jon Collier
“You alone remain responsible for the content users create, upload, post,
send, or store through the Service.” 

LICENSING SNAPS
Users provide Snap Inc with a worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable,
and transferable license for their content when using “Snaps”.
For the “limited” purpose of providing, operating, developing,
promoting and improving services.As well as researching and
developing new services.
Flickr UserVirginia BarretoFlickr User Ariel Chang
Flickr User Modesto del Río Flickr User Kenya Allmond

LIVE, LOCAL, & OTHER CROWD-SOURCED
SERVICES
The license users agree too for these services is broader. 
Along with the worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable, and transferable
license for content sent via these services users also agree to:
• A perpetual license to create derivative works from their content.
• a license to redistribute content on any and all other media (including those
created in the future)
• A worldwide & perpetual right to their likeness & name if require
• Waiving of compensation for content uploaded to these services

TheTerms of Service require a perpetual license for
content that is supposedly deleted off their servers. 
 
If content is not being deleted, it may violate the Federal
Trade Commissions Regulations that prohibits unfair and
deceptive acts and practices.
Snap Inc Claims that “Delete is our default”
Young, D. (2013). NowYou See It, NowYou Don’t, Or DoYou: Snapchat’s Deceptive Promotion ofVanishing MessagesViolates
FederalTrade Commission Regulations. J. Marshall J. Info.Tech. & Privacy L., 30, 827.

Snapchat Inc reserves the right review all content on its service, and
remove any content it sees ﬁt. However it does not take responsibility
for content provided by its users nor does it guarantee it that content
will meet it’sTOS.
“We may access, review, screen, and delete your content at any
time and for any reason, including if we think their content
violates these Terms.” 

Snap Inc can delete a users content or account at will for any reason.  
They do not guarantee that content will meet their ownTOS.  
And Snap Inc can use content however they like, forever, and not
pay users anything 
 
Including if they or users terminate their account!
“Regardless of who terminates these Terms, both users and Snap Inc. continue
to be bound by Sections 3, 6, 9, 10, and 13-22 of the Terms.”

SNAP INC COLLECTS INFORMATION
ABOUT USERS.
Image by Flickr user @Ruben Mollina

LOCATION INFORMATION
Depending on settings
Snapchat may access and store
their precise location using
methods like GPS,Wi-Fi access
points, and their phones
internal sensors.
Photo by Flickr user @Andrea_44
Privacy Policy – Snap Inc. from https://www.snap.com/en-US/privacy/privacy-policy/

USAGE INFORMATION
• How users use Snapchat e.g.
What Filters users use.
• Their interactions with others,
inc names, dates, & the number
of messages users send.
• Who users Snap the most.
• Interactions with Snaps (When
users open them or capture a
screenshot).
Image by Flickr User @Thomas Hawk

PHONEBOOK INFORMATION.
With consent Snapchat
retrieves information from
their phonebook.
Photo by Flickr User @Anthony Easton

DEVICE INFORMATION
•Phone number
•Devices hardware & Model
• Operating system version
• Unique identiﬁers
• Browser type
• Language
• Network Information
Photo by Flickr user @Chuong Le [LeSy]

CONTENT INFORMATION / METADATA
• Information about their
content e.g. has their friend
has viewed it.
• Metadata for their content.
Photo by Flickr User @Mace Ojala

THIRD PARTY INFORMATION
• Snapchat may obtain information from
other users & combine it with
information they already have about
users.
• Information from other companies/third
party sources and combine with the
information we collect through our
services.
• They may log information via their
website about users.
Photo by Flickr user @thomas

Users can download a copy of the data Snap Inc has
collected on them by going to
accounts.snapchat.com & clicking on “Data”
https://www.snap.com/en-US/privacy/our-approach/

WHAT DOES SNAPCHAT DO WITH THIS
INFORMATION?

SNAP INC BUSINESS USAGE
Usages related to delivering Snap Incs products, including
communicating with users, developing new products, Personalising
services, enhancing security products, enforceTOS and more.

SHARE WITH AFFILIATES
Entities within the Snap Inc. family of companies.

SHARE WITH ADVERTISES
In the aggregate or after de-identiﬁcation.

SHARE FOR LEGAL REASONS.
• Compliance with a valid legal
request.
• Protecting the rights, property,
and safety of Snap Inc, its users,
or others.
• Fraud and security concerns.
• To enforce theTerms of Service.
Image by ﬂickr user @GentleHorizons

SHARE IT THIRD PARTIES
• For the purpose of merger or takeover
• Those who deliver services on Snap Inc’s behalf.

Terms of Service are a binding legal document. 
 
Make sure you know what you are agreeing too before you click “I
agree”!

• Electronic Frontier Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved 2 November 2016, from https://www.eff.org/
• Graves,A. (2016). Snapchat Readers’Advisory. School Library Journal, 62(6), n/a.
• Privacy Center – Privacy Policy – Snap Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved 2 November 2016, from https://
www.snap.com/en-US/privacy/privacy-policy/
• Target and Snapchat suffer major data breaches. (2014). Computer Fraud & Security, 2014(1),
1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1361-3723(14)70001-6
• Terms of Service – Snap Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved 2 November 2016, from https://
www.snap.com/en-US/terms/
• Waddell,T. F. (2016).The Allure of Privacy or the Desire for Self-Expression? Identifying Users’
Gratiﬁcations for Ephemeral, Photograph-Based Communication. Cyberpsychology, Behavior,
and Social Networking, 19(7), 441–445. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0677
• Young, D. (2013). NowYou See It, NowYou Don’t, Or DoYou: Snapchat’s Deceptive
Promotion ofVanishing MessagesViolates FederalTrade Commission Regulations. J. Marshall J.
Info.Tech. & Privacy L., 30, 827.

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