Table 1.
Overview of the most popular social media apps.
| Platform or app | Active users (in millions) | Provider | Predominant content | Viewable without signing in | Minimum age (years) | Age verification | Possibility to request deletion of the account | Parental consent | Parent portal or community guidelines | |
| Social media | ||||||||||
|
|
2234 | Facebook Inc | Video or text or images or social messaging | Yes | 13 | Verification of official document when account is locked | Yes (form) | Consent by user | Yes | |
|
|
YouTube | 1900 | Video creation | Yes | 13 (≥14/≥16)a | Background check or verification of official document or credit card verification when locked | Yes | Consent by user or parents if below 13 years | Yes | |
|
|
1500 | WhatsApp Inc (Facebook Inc) | Social messaging (video or text or music) | No | 13 | By SMS messaging | No | Consent by user | No | |
|
|
1000 | Facebook Inc | Images or video | Yes | 13 (16)a | Verification of ID when locked | Yes (form) | Consent by user | Yes | |
|
|
TikTok | 500 | Beijing Bytedance Technology | Music or images | No | 13 (14)a | No | Yes (mail) | Yes (for certain countries) | No |
|
|
335 | Twitter Inc | Text | Yes | No | Yes for sensitive posts | Yes | Consent by user | No | |
|
|
Skype | 300 | Microsoft Corporation | Social messaging | No | No | No | No | Consent by user | No |
|
|
Snapchat | 291 | Snap Inc | Video or photo posting | No | 13 | By peer or birthday can be changed only a limited number of times | Yes (mail) | Consent by user | Yes |
|
|
250 | 13 | Images | Yes | 13 | By peer | Yes (form) | Consent by parents if underaged use | Yes | |
|
|
LINE | 203 | LINE Corporation | Social messaging | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Ecosystems | ||||||||||
|
|
iOS (Apple ID) | N/Ab | Apple | Apps | N/A | 13 | Yes (Credit card or SMS) | Yes | Consent by parents if underaged users | Yes |
|
|
Android Play Store | N/A | Apps | N/A | 13 (≥14/≥16)a | Back check or verification of official document or credit card verification | Yes | Consent by parents if underaged users | Yes | |
aOn the basis of the country, the companies have adopted a different minimum age.
bN/A: not applicable.