ABSTRACT
This study examines the privacy policies of social networking sites launched at different stages of Web 2.0 to assess (a) the extent to which they enable user control over personal information and (b) their GDPR compliance. We analyze two early-stage platforms (Facebook, YouTube), two mid-stage platforms (Snapchat, WeChat), and two late-stage platforms (TikTok, BeReal). Using PrivacyCheck, a browser extension that evaluates privacy policies across two scales – User Control and GDPR Compliance – we classify each platform as Low, Medium, or High Risk based on 10 factors per scale. Findings show limited User Control overall, with BeReal scoring the only Low Risk ranking. Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok are Medium Risk, while YouTube and WeChat are High Risk. Alarmingly, all platforms score High Risk on the ‘law enforcement’ dimension, indicating they may share user data with government agencies without warrants. Regarding GDPR Compliance, all platforms rank High Risk except WeChat, which scores Medium Risk—suggesting widespread vulnerabilities. We conclude that privacy remains a major concern across platforms. While newer platforms like BeReal show more privacy-friendly practices, compliance remains inconsistent. The findings also highlight a key limitation of GDPR: it does not prevent warrantless data sharing with authorities, which emerges as a major threat to user privacy.
Schabio, Nathalie and Shahin, Saif, User control and GDPR compliance in social media privacy policies: A comparison of Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, WeChat, TikTok, and BeReal. Posted: 9 October 2025.
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