Snapchat collects extensive data about its users including:
- Personal information such as name, username, email address, phone number, and date of birth collected at sign-up.
- Messaging activity including the content of Snaps, stories, chats, voice and video calls, along with metadata like who sent what to whom and how often.
- Location information via IP address, GPS signals, and technologies like cell tower triangulation and Wi-Fi to track precise user location.
- Device and usage information such as hardware model, operating system, installed apps, browser type, battery level, mobile carrier, unique device identifiers (e.g., IMEI), and how users interact with the app (e.g., which filters they use).
- Data about app usage patterns, including how often users open the app, which contacts they communicate with most, and their engagement with features like Lenses and Stories.
- It may also collect data related to websites visited before navigating to or from Snapchat and data from sensors like gyroscopes and accelerometers in the device.
- Snapchat uses content data from user images and videos (e.g., to power search features like recognizing objects in Memories) and has faced scrutiny for collecting biometric data for features like Lenses (though it claims it does not store or share biometric data).
This data collection serves to improve user experience, customize content, target advertising, and support features such as Snap Map and augmented reality Lenses.
