Snap Restricts Public Spotlight Videos for Users Under 16
Snapchat will no longer allow users aged 13 to 15 to share Spotlight short-form videos publicly, instead limiting their content to mutual friends through a new dedicated profile feature. The change also removes engagement metrics like favorite counts for younger teens and extends partial restrictions to users aged 16 to 18. The move reflects growing regulatory and legal pressure on social media platforms over teen safety and privacy.
Snapchat is introducing new content restrictions that prevent users between 13 and 15 years old from posting to the publicly visible version of Spotlight, its short-form video hub. These younger teens will instead get a new 'My Profile' feature where their Spotlight posts and Stories are only visible to mutual friends, with no engagement metrics such as favorite counts displayed. Users aged 16 to 18 can still share Spotlight content publicly, but their posts will be limited to friends, followers, and mutual connections. Previously, users as young as 13 could contribute to public Spotlight, though their posts were not linked to their profiles to prevent strangers from contacting them. Snap says the changes are designed to encourage creativity within a trusted audience and reduce social pressure on younger users. The company has also expanded parental controls, including allowing parents to monitor time spent on Stories and Spotlight through its Family Center. Snap is currently facing multiple lawsuits over child safety and earlier this year settled a case accusing it of enabling social media addiction.
What's missing
Neither source specifies how Snap will verify users' ages to enforce these restrictions, nor whether existing public Spotlight content from under-16 users will be retroactively removed or restricted.
How coverage differed
Both outlets reported the core facts similarly, though TechCrunch provided additional detail on the 16-to-18 age group's restrictions and noted Snap CEO Evan Spiegel's public comments defending the platform's impact, while Engadget placed greater emphasis on the broader legal and regulatory scrutiny Snap faces.
What different sources said
- EngadgetCenter
Snap will no longer allow younger teens' Spotlight videos to be publicly viewable
- TechCrunchCenter
Snapchat limits users under 16 to sharing Spotlights with friends
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