Snapchat asking for your birthday may seem unnecessary or intrusive at first glance. However, there are some valid reasons why the popular social media app requires users to provide their date of birth during the signup process.
To verify your age and comply with regulations
The main reason Snapchat asks for your birthday is to verify your age. Snapchat’s terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old to create an account. By collecting your birthday, Snapchat can confirm you meet the minimum age requirement to use the app.
This age verification process allows Snapchat to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States. COPPA imposes certain requirements on online services, websites, and apps when collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13.
To adhere to COPPA regulations, Snapchat needs to:
- Obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13
- Provide parents with access to the information collected from their child if requested
- Delete children’s accounts upon request from the parent
- Protect children’s privacy and safety online
Asking for your birthday allows Snapchat to identify which users are under 13 and handle their accounts and data appropriately based on COPPA requirements.
To unlock certain features
Snapchat also uses your birthday to unlock certain features within the app as you get older. Here are some of the ways your birthday affects your Snapchat access and experience:
Over 13
Once you’ve verified you’re at least 13 years old by entering your birthday, you can access basic Snapchat features like:
- Adding friends
- Taking and sending snaps
- Creating stories
- Using lenses and filters
- Messaging
Over 16
When you turn 16, Snapchat allows you to:
- Create a public profile visible to all Snapchatters
- Allow friends to view your real location on the Snap Map
- Share your location with specific friends within the app
Over 18
Once you turn 18, Snapchat lifts further restrictions and lets you:
- Access Snapchat’s unmoderated Discover content
- View contextual ads based on your activity and interests
Entering an accurate birthday ensures you can enjoy all of Snapchat’s features when you reach the appropriate age. It also prevents younger users from accessing content meant for adults.
To personalize your experience
Knowing your birthday allows Snapchat to provide a more personalized experience in a few different ways:
Birthday notifications
Snapchat will send you birthday messages, stickers, lenses, filters, and other fun surprises on your special day. Your friends will also receive a notification encouraging them to post birthday snaps and messages for you.
Astrology lenses
If you’re into astrology, Snapchat releases special lenses filtered by zodiac sign around birthday periods. Your sun sign is determined by your exact date of birth.
Targeted content recommendations
Snapchat may use your birthday and age to recommend content that appeals to your demographic. For example, the app’s Discover section features content created by partners like ESPN, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, and more. Understanding users’ ages allows Snapchat to showcase Discover channels that are most relevant to them.
Ads based on age range
Knowing your birthday allows Snapchat to serve age-appropriate ads that are more likely to interest you. For instance, a user who is 17 may see ads for prom dresses or video games, while one who is 35 may see ads for new cars or travel spots instead.
To improve app safety
Collecting birthdays also contributes to Snapchat’s efforts to keep the platform safe and constructive for all users.
By confirming users’ ages, Snapchat can:
- Detect and restrict suspicious activity from accounts registered with false ages
- Develop age-appropriate safety features and resources
- Enforce its community guidelines evenly across age groups
The app has deployed artificial intelligence tools to detect predators and suspicious behavior. Understanding users’ actual ages helps these technologies identify and respond to threats more accurately.
Snapchat also uses age-based data to evaluate the effectiveness of its safety features. For example, the company may analyze how different age groups are utilizing tools like Friend Whitelist and Quick Add to improve them over time.
To provide age-based reporting insights
Snapchat shares high-level user age demographics and trends with advertisers and business partners. This gives external companies a better sense of Snapchat’s audience for marketing and research purposes.
Here are some examples of the general age-based insights Snapchat may share:
- Percentage of daily active users who are 13-17 years old vs. 18-24 years old vs. 25+ years old
- Growth rates for different age brackets over time
- General interests and platform behaviors of different age groups
This reporting does not include any data that could identify individual users. Sharing aggregated age statistics helps Snapchat’s advertising partners refine their targeting and measure campaign results.
To research user behavior
Finally, gathering birthdays allows Snapchat to conduct internal research about how different age groups use the platform. This provides valuable insights that can inform decisions about Snapchat’s products, features, marketing, and business strategy.
Some potential research questions Snapchat may analyze through age-based data include:
- How many daily snaps do teenagers send vs. young adults vs. older users?
- Which lenses, filters, and creative tools are most popular among different ages?
- How do messaging habits differ between age demographics?
- What types of Discover content do different ages engage with most?
Understanding usage patterns across age brackets helps Snapchat continuously innovate and improve to better serve all segments of its diverse user base.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s birthday requirement may seem intrusive, but it serves many important purposes for both users and the platform itself. Verifying ages allows Snapchat to comply with privacy regulations, unlock age-appropriate features, personalize the experience, bolster safety, provide valuable analytics to partners, and gain key user insights through internal research.
While sharing your birthday with an app is always a personal choice, Snapchat has implemented responsible data practices to protect users’ privacy. The platform only collects birthdays upon signup, relies on aggregated reporting, and uses age data internally to improve its products and safety capabilities.
Considering these thoughtful uses, Snapchat’s birthday ask ultimately creates a safer, more tailored platform that evolves to meet different age groups’ needs and preferences.