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According to former Snapchat employee Anthony Pompliano in a lawsuit filed against Snap Inc., Spiegel made a statement in 2015 that Snapchat is "only for rich people" and that he does not "want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain". The incident sparked a Twitter trend called "#UninstallSnapchat", in which Indian users uninstalled the app, and caused backlash against the company, including a large number of low "one-star" ratings for the app in the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store. Snapchat's shares fell by 1.5%. In response to the allegation, Snapchat called Pompliano's claim "ridiculous", and elaborated that "Obviously Snapchat is for everyone. It's available worldwide to download for free."

Pompliano lawsuit

=================

In January 2017, Pompliano filed a state lawsuit accusing Snapchat of doctoring growth metrics with the intention of deceiving investors. Pompliano said that Spiegel was dismissive of his concerns and that Pompliano was fired shortly thereafter. The judge dropped Pompliano's claims that Snapchat violated the Dodd-Frank and Consumer Protection Acts in retaliation against him, citing an arbitration clause in his contract. However, Snap Inc. faced blowback over a lack of disclosure regarding the contents of the lawsuit, resulting in plunging stock prices, several class-action lawsuits, and Federal investigations.

"Snap Map" privacy concerns

=================

The June 2017 release of "Snap Map", a feature that broadcasts the user's location on a map, was met with concerns over privacy and safety. The feature, through an opt-in, delivers a message asking if the user would like to show their position on the map, but reportedly does not explain the ramifications of doing so, including that the app updates the user's position on the map each time the app is opened and not just when actively capturing snaps, potentially assisting stalkers. The map can be zoomed in to feature detailed geographical information, such as street addresses. The Daily Telegraph reported that police forces had issued child safety warnings, while other media publications wrote that safety concerns were also raised for teenagers and adults unaware of the feature's actual behavior. In a statement to The Verge, a Snapchat spokesperson said that "The safety of our community is very important to us and we want to make sure that all Snapchatters, parents, and educators have accurate information about how the Snap Map works".
Users have the ability to operate in "Ghost Mode", or select the friends that they wish to share their location with. Although there has been an increase in advertising on Snapchat, Snapchat has stated that they do not plan on running ads on Snap Map stories.

Body image concerns

=================

The increased use of body and facial reshaping applications such as Snapchat and Facetune has been identified as a potential cause of body dysmorphic disorder. In August 2018, researchers from the Boston Medical Center wrote in a JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery essay that a phenomenon they called 'Snapchat dysmorphia' had been identified, where people request surgery to look like the edited version of themselves as they appear through Snapchat Filters.

Snapchat employees abused data access to spy on users

=================

In May 2019, it was revealed that multiple Snapchat employees used an internal tool called SnapLion, originally designed to gather data in compliance with law enforcement requests, to spy on users.

Revenge porn

=================

During the 2020 lockdown to inhibit the spread of COVID-19 in France, the app emerged as a hub for the dissemination of revenge porn of underage girls. Some users have also reported that perpetrators of revenge porn have utilized explicit images to seek sexual favors or powers over individuals.

In 2020, a woman in North Carolina sued Snapchat (as well as dating app Tinder and the five men named in the attack), claiming features of the app enabled her alleged rapist and his friends to hide evidence of the rape. In particular, the suit alleges that "because of the ways Snapchat is and has been designed, constructed, marketed, and maintained, [the woman's assailants] were able to send these nonconsensual, pornographic photographs and videos of [her] with little to no threat of law enforcement verifying that they did so." The woman told the court that parent company Snap Inc. "specifically and purposely designed, constructed, and maintained Snapchat to serve as a secretive and nefarious communications platform that encourages, solicits, and facilitates the creation and dissemination of illicit and non-consensual sexually explicit content...and allowed Snapchat to operate as a safe-haven from law enforcement."

Sale of fake pills

=================

In December 2022, the National Crime Prevention Council wrote U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Justice Department to examine Snap's business practices related to the sale of fake pills containing lethal amounts the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Less than a month later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into the company and the sale of fake pills.

Grooming

=================

In November 2024, British children's charity the NSPCC reported that according to statistics provided to them by the police, that the most popular app amongst online groomers was Snapchat.

Snapchat Speed Filter Crashes

=================

In September 2015, Christal McGee was driving her Mercedes-Benz C230 in Georgia when she collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander at 107 mph. The high-speed crash severely injured the driver of the Mitsubishi, Wentworth Maynard, who required five weeks of intensive care and was left with a permanent brain injury. In April 2016, Maynard sued both McGee and Snapchat, claiming that McGee was using the Snapchat “speed filter” at the time of the crash. The lawsuit further alleged that Snapchat negligently allowed the feature despite knowing it encouraged dangerous speeding. In March 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Snapchat must face claims that it defectively designed the “speed filter” application.

In May 2017, a group of teens in Wisconsin used Snapchat's "speed filter" to capture their car's speed as it reached 123 mph on a rural road. Moments later, the vehicle crashed into a tree, killing all three occupants. In May 2019, the families of two passengers, Hunter Morby and Landen Brown, filed a lawsuit against Snapchat, alleging that the company knew the filter encouraged reckless speeding among young users but failed to restrict its use. The case, Lemmon v. Snap, led to a landmark legal precedent. In May 2021, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act–which typically shields tech companies from liability for content created by users–did not bar the families' claims. The court distinguished between protecting platforms from liability for user-generated content and protecting them from liability for negligent product design, finding that the speed filter was a feature Snapchat itself had created. This decision allowed the case to proceed, marking a significant precedent for holding tech companies accountable for the design of their products. In 2021, Snap Inc. settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

In June 2021, a month after the 9th Circuit ruling, Snapchat removed the “speed filter”, citing its limited use for its removal. The decision came after mounting pressure from safety advocates, legal experts, and families affected by crashes allegedly linked to the feature. Critics had long argued that the filter incentivized reckless behavior, particularly among young and impressionable drivers, and called for stronger accountability from social media companies to prioritize user safety.

AI selfies in ads

=================

Snapchat's My Selfie feature allows users selfies to be used by generative ai to "generate novel images of you". The features includes a toggle to "See My Selfie in Ads" which is enabled by default.

Introduction of Storage charges

=================

In September 2025, Snap Inc announced it would start charging users if they have more than five gigabytes worth of previously shared images and videos saved as Memories, a service that was previously offered with unlimited storage for free. The decision received widespread criticism online, with many calling the fee a "memory tax", expressing concerns over losing the years worth of memories they had saved on the Snapchat. Many long-time users of the app considered the feature to be their primary factor for keeping the app downloaded. While the company claimed it was for sustainability reasons rather than monetization, commentators likened the move as economic coercion built on scientifically documented cognitive vulnerabilities related to loss aversion.

Australia and Russia Ban

=================

At the start of December 2025, Russia's internet and media regulator stated that it had blocked Snapchat under claims that it was being used for "extremist and terrorist" activity. On December 10, 2025, Australia also banned Snapchat for anyone under the age of 16 as part of the Online Safety Amendment.

-
Can't Look Away: The Case Against Social Media – 2025 documentary which features Snapchat

-
Censorship of Snapchat – Restriction of access to Snapchat by governments and organizations

-
Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients

-
Instagram face – Beauty standard based on digitally altered photographs

-
Picsart – Cross-platform design, photo and video editing platform

-
Purikura – Japanese photo sticker booths which had earlier used Snapchat-like filters

-
Sobrr – Another mobile application which deletes content after a specified time

-
Timeline of social media

According to former Snapchat employee Anthony Pompliano in a lawsuit filed against Snap Inc., Spiegel made a statement in 2015 that Snapchat is "only for rich people" and that he does not "want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain". The incident sparked a Twitter trend called "#UninstallSnapchat", in which Indian users uninstalled the app, and caused backlash against the company, including a large number of low "one-star" ratings for the app in the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store. Snapchat's shares fell by 1.5%. In response to the allegation, Snapchat called Pompliano's claim "ridiculous", and elaborated that "Obviously Snapchat is for everyone. It's available worldwide to download for free."

Pompliano lawsuit

=================

In January 2017, Pompliano filed a state lawsuit accusing Snapchat of doctoring growth metrics with the intention of deceiving investors. Pompliano said that Spiegel was dismissive of his concerns and that Pompliano was fired shortly thereafter. The judge dropped Pompliano's claims that Snapchat violated the Dodd-Frank and Consumer Protection Acts in retaliation against him, citing an arbitration clause in his contract. However, Snap Inc. faced blowback over a lack of disclosure regarding the contents of the lawsuit, resulting in plunging stock prices, several class-action lawsuits, and Federal investigations.

"Snap Map" privacy concerns

=================

The June 2017 release of "Snap Map", a feature that broadcasts the user's location on a map, was met with concerns over privacy and safety. The feature, through an opt-in, delivers a message asking if the user would like to show their position on the map, but reportedly does not explain the ramifications of doing so, including that the app updates the user's position on the map each time the app is opened and not just when actively capturing snaps, potentially assisting stalkers. The map can be zoomed in to feature detailed geographical information, such as street addresses. The Daily Telegraph reported that police forces had issued child safety warnings, while other media publications wrote that safety concerns were also raised for teenagers and adults unaware of the feature's actual behavior. In a statement to The Verge, a Snapchat spokesperson said that "The safety of our community is very important to us and we want to make sure that all Snapchatters, parents, and educators have accurate information about how the Snap Map works".

Users have the ability to operate in "Ghost Mode", or select the friends that they wish to share their location with. Although there has been an increase in advertising on Snapchat, Snapchat has stated that they do not plan on running ads on Snap Map stories.

Body image concerns

=================

The increased use of body and facial reshaping applications such as Snapchat and Facetune has been identified as a potential cause of body dysmorphic disorder. In August 2018, researchers from the Boston Medical Center wrote in a JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery essay that a phenomenon they called 'Snapchat dysmorphia' had been identified, where people request surgery to look like the edited version of themselves as they appear through Snapchat Filters.

Snapchat employees abused data access to spy on users

=================

In May 2019, it was revealed that multiple Snapchat employees used an internal tool called SnapLion, originally designed to gather data in compliance with law enforcement requests, to spy on users.

Revenge porn

=================

During the 2020 lockdown to inhibit the spread of COVID-19 in France, the app emerged as a hub for the dissemination of revenge porn of underage girls. Some users have also reported that perpetrators of revenge porn have utilized explicit images to seek sexual favors or powers over individuals.

In 2020, a woman in North Carolina sued Snapchat (as well as dating app Tinder and the five men named in the attack), claiming features of the app enabled her alleged rapist and his friends to hide evidence of the rape. In particular, the suit alleges that "because of the ways Snapchat is and has been designed, constructed, marketed, and maintained, [the woman's assailants] were able to send these nonconsensual, pornographic photographs and videos of [her] with little to no threat of law enforcement verifying that they did so." The woman told the court that parent company Snap Inc. "specifically and purposely designed, constructed, and maintained Snapchat to serve as a secretive and nefarious communications platform that encourages, solicits, and facilitates the creation and dissemination of illicit and non-consensual sexually explicit content...and allowed Snapchat to operate as a safe-haven from law enforcement."

Sale of fake pills

=================

In December 2022, the National Crime Prevention Council wrote U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Justice Department to examine Snap's business practices related to the sale of fake pills containing lethal amounts the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Less than a month later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into the company and the sale of fake pills.

Grooming

=================

In November 2024, British children's charity the NSPCC reported that according to statistics provided to them by the police, that the most popular app amongst online groomers was Snapchat.

Snapchat Speed Filter Crashes

=================

In September 2015, Christal McGee was driving her Mercedes-Benz C230 in Georgia when she collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander at 107 mph. The high-speed crash severely injured the driver of the Mitsubishi, Wentworth Maynard, who required five weeks of intensive care and was left with a permanent brain injury. In April 2016, Maynard sued both McGee and Snapchat, claiming that McGee was using the Snapchat “speed filter” at the time of the crash. The lawsuit further alleged that Snapchat negligently allowed the feature despite knowing it encouraged dangerous speeding. In March 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Snapchat must face claims that it defectively designed the “speed filter” application.

In May 2017, a group of teens in Wisconsin used Snapchat's "speed filter" to capture their car's speed as it reached 123 mph on a rural road. Moments later, the vehicle crashed into a tree, killing all three occupants. In May 2019, the families of two passengers, Hunter Morby and Landen Brown, filed a lawsuit against Snapchat, alleging that the company knew the filter encouraged reckless speeding among young users but failed to restrict its use. The case, Lemmon v. Snap, led to a landmark legal precedent. In May 2021, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act–which typically shields tech companies from liability for content created by users–did not bar the families' claims. The court distinguished between protecting platforms from liability for user-generated content and protecting them from liability for negligent product design, finding that the speed filter was a feature Snapchat itself had created. This decision allowed the case to proceed, marking a significant precedent for holding tech companies accountable for the design of their products. In 2021, Snap Inc. settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

In June 2021, a month after the 9th Circuit ruling, Snapchat removed the “speed filter”, citing its limited use for its removal. The decision came after mounting pressure from safety advocates, legal experts, and families affected by crashes allegedly linked to the feature. Critics had long argued that the filter incentivized reckless behavior, particularly among young and impressionable drivers, and called for stronger accountability from social media companies to prioritize user safety.

AI selfies in ads

=================

Snapchat's My Selfie feature allows users selfies to be used by generative ai to "generate novel images of you". The features includes a toggle to "See My Selfie in Ads" which is enabled by default.

Introduction of Storage charges

=================

In September 2025, Snap Inc announced it would start charging users if they have more than five gigabytes worth of previously shared images and videos saved as Memories, a service that was previously offered with unlimited storage for free. The decision received widespread criticism online, with many calling the fee a "memory tax", expressing concerns over losing the years worth of memories they had saved on the Snapchat. Many long-time users of the app considered the feature to be their primary factor for keeping the app downloaded. While the company claimed it was for sustainability reasons rather than monetization, commentators likened the move as economic coercion built on scientifically documented cognitive vulnerabilities related to loss aversion.

Australia and Russia Ban

=================

At the start of December 2025, Russia's internet and media regulator stated that it had blocked Snapchat under claims that it was being used for "extremist and terrorist" activity. On December 10, 2025, Australia also banned Snapchat for anyone under the age of 16 as part of the Online Safety Amendment.

-

Can't Look Away: The Case Against Social Media – 2025 documentary which features Snapchat

-

Censorship of Snapchat – Restriction of access to Snapchat by governments and organizations

-

Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients

-

Instagram face – Beauty standard based on digitally altered photographs

-

Picsart – Cross-platform design, photo and video editing platform

-

Purikura – Japanese photo sticker booths which had earlier used Snapchat-like filters

-

Sobrr – Another mobile application which deletes content after a specified time

-

Timeline of social media