How old is a Snapchat account? And why is it forbidden for children under 13?

To remember:

Although Snapchat is best known for being a social platform more geared towards the younger generation, you still need to be at least a certain age to be able to use the app's attractive features. Age restrictions are common to almost all social networks.

In the case of Snapchat, we'll take a look in this article at the age at which you can become a user, and the reasons why. Let's go !

Et pour d’autres sujets en lien avec Snapchat, comme how to monitor your child's Snapchat account for example, please refer to our articles.

What is the minimum age to create an account on Snapchat?

As with most social networking platforms, the legal age for a Snapchat account is 13 years old. Children under this age are strictly not allowed to have an account or use Snapchat services for their own safety.

But they must also have prior consent of their parents or legal guardians until the age of 18 in order to access the services.

Est-ce que la limite d’âge imposée par Snapchat (13 ans) indique que la plateforme est sécurisée pour les jeunes de 13 ans? Pas nécessairement !

Les entreprises sont particulièrement concernées par cette limite, car elles ne peuvent pas légalement recueillir des informations sur les utilisateurs âgés de moins de 13 ans, selon la loi intitulée Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule en vigueur aux États-Unis.

Why is Snapchat banned for children under 13?

According to studies, it is estimated that by the age of 13, a child will does not yet have all his mental faculties to weigh up the pros and cons and set limits. He is easily influenced by the things it sees without filtering them and can easily give in to addictive behavior.

Initially, a version reserved for under-13s ("Snapchat for Kids") was available, but the program was discontinued following a request from children's rights advocates to preserve their still "fragile" mental health.

In addition, Snapchat is seen as an application that aims to make its users dependent. It's also worth bearing in mind that, like many social networks, it also has its shortcomings, despite all its good points. If you'd like to find out more about Snapchat's downsides, read on... why Snapchat is badespecially for teenagers.

How do people under 13 manage to open a Snapchat account?

Despite the age restriction, Snapchat's app lacks authentication to prove real age when subscribing. This may encourage children under the legal age to use Snapchat. misinformation (in this case, the date of birth) to use the application, without the parents' knowledge.

He may also enlist the help of older accomplices, asking them to create an account for him with their identities so he can use it. The fact that the application is not authorized for under-13s is not a barrier for children, and there's no shortage of ways for them to access the platform if they're not closely supervised by an adult.

How can I protect my child on Snapchat?

There are various ways to protect your child on this social network. How can you do this?

Add your child to the Parental Center

Vous pouvez inscrire votre enfant sur Snapchat mais pour sa sécurité, il est recommandé de l’inclure dans le Centre parental. Pour ce faire :

1. Install Snapchat and log in to create an account (yes, you need to have an account!).
2. Veillez à avoir la version la plus récente de l’application.
3. Add votre adolescent en tant qu’ami sur Snapchat en entrant son nom d’utilisateur dans la recherche.
4. See you in the Family Center and follow the process creation.
5. À l’écran d’invitation, choisissez le nom de votre adolescent (en le choisissant dans une liste de vos amis récents ou en les recherchant) et cliquez sur "Send an invitation.
6. Votre adolescent verra l’invitation envoyée as a new Direct Chat message de votre part. Il est impératif que votre adolescent examine et accepte l’invitation à rejoindre le Centre parental.

Comme pour une conversation habituelle sur Snapchat, le message sera effacé immédiatement ou 24 heures après que votre adolescent l’a vu, selon ses paramètres. Veuillez donc leur rappeler personnellement d’accepter l’invitation !

Remark : 

Les parents de moins de 25 ans ne seront pas autorisés à envoyer des invitations au Centre familial, tandis que les Snapchatters âgés de 18 ans et plus ne pourront pas accepter d’invitations sur ce réseau social.

Restricting my child's content on Snapchat

As a member of the Parenting Centre, you can limit certain content which your teenager can view in the Stories and Spotlight tabs. Although content on the platform is moderated, some posts contain images or captions that do not explicitly violate our Community Rules, but contain sensitive or suggestive content (photos, or other ). To restrict certain content on your online teenager :

1. See you in the Settings.
2. Go to the "Privacy control.
3. Click on the "Parenting Center;
4. Cliquez sur l’option "Restricting sensitive content.

When this setting is updated, your teenager will be informed.

This feature also allows you to collect important data on Snapchat! For example, you can have access to messages, (individual or group exchanges) when you add them to this Parental Center. On Snap, you can also access exchanges deleted, blocked or deleted by your teenager.

En résumé, comme de nombreux réseaux sociaux, Snapchat est interdit aux enfants de moins de 13 ans! Il existe de nombreuses raisons, mais c’est principalement une question de sécurité et de bienveillance envers les enfants.

Arrivés à un certain âge, il est probable que nos enfants souhaitent s’inscrire sur les réseaux sociaux malgré les risques et dangers. Heureusement, la plateforme a mis en place des mesures de sécurité spécifiques pour les parents ou les tuteurs afin de protéger leurs enfants en ligne des dangers qui s’y trouvent !