Snapchat announced in 2026 that users between 13 and 15 years old will only be able to share Spotlight posts with people they follow back, tightening content controls for its youngest users.
Under the new rules, users under 16 will receive a separate profile that limits the visibility of both Stories and Spotlight posts to mutual friends. That profile will also strip out engagement metrics such as favorite counts, removing the pressure to chase higher engagement numbers.
Previously, Snapchat allowed this age group to share Spotlight posts publicly. While those posts were not attributed to their profiles — making it harder for other users to contact them directly — the content was still broadly visible.
Teenagers aged 16 to 18 face a less restrictive but still limited experience: their Spotlight posts can be shared publicly, but visibility is confined to friends, followers, and users with whom they share mutual connections. Parents can also monitor how much time their children spend on platform features like Stories and Spotlight through Snapchat’s Family Center tool.
The company said the changes are aimed at protecting underage users from being doxxed. Snapchat already prevents strangers from sending friend requests or messages to teenagers, displays a warning when a teen begins chatting with an unknown user, and restricts the type of content teenagers can view on the platform.
The announcement comes after Snap settled a lawsuit earlier this year accusing it of enabling social media addiction, while continuing to fight similar cases across the United States. In a CNBC interview, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel cited studies suggesting Snapchat has a “positive impact” on users by connecting them with friends, and argued the platform should not be grouped with TikTok and Instagram.
Instagram’s parent company Meta has also introduced restrictions for teenage users in recent years, including specialized accounts for that age group.
Source: TechCrunch