“Half of my life is on this app and now they expect us to pay for it.” That statement captures the anger spreading among Snapchat users after the company announced it will charge for storing old photos and videos. Users say the platform is monetizing nostalgia and betraying long-time supporters.
Charging for memories
In September, Snap, Snapchat’s parent company, announced that users with more than five gigabytes of saved Memories will need to pay. For many, these photos and videos document years of friendships, milestones, and personal moments, making the change feel like a betrayal.
Snap defended the move, comparing it to Apple and Google’s paid cloud storage services. The company said users could download their Memories to their devices if they prefer not to pay, though managing tens of gigabytes of data can be challenging.
A spokesperson said only a small number of users would be affected. They acknowledged that moving from free to paid service “is never easy” but insisted it would be “worth the cost.” Many users online disagree.
Backlash over the ‘memory tax’
An online petition has called the new charge a “memory tax.” Users described it as “ridiculous,” “unethical,” and “dystopian.” Some promised to delete their accounts entirely rather than pay.
On Google Play, user Natacha Jonsson left a one-star review. “If I know millennials right, most of us have years worth of memories on Snapchat,” she wrote. “And most of us only kept the app for that reason. 5GB is absolutely nothing when you have years of memories… Bye Snap.”
London journalism student Guste Ven, 20, said on TikTok that she plans to quit the app. “I downloaded all my memories as soon as I could,” she told a news outlet. “Almost all of my teenage years are on Snapchat. Charging for something that has always been free doesn’t make sense.”
Loyal users feel abandoned
Snapchat has not revealed how much its new storage plans will cost in the UK. The company said the rollout will take place gradually worldwide.
Amber Daley, 23, from London, said she would be “distraught” if the fees go into effect. She has used Snapchat daily since 2014 and described it as “a part of everyday life.”
Amber said she understood the platform needs revenue but argued that Memories hold deep personal significance. “It’s unfair to charge loyal users who have supported the app for years,” she said. “These aren’t just called Memories — they are our real memories.”
The true cost of cloud storage
Charging for storage is common. Millions already pay Apple or Google to protect their photos and videos. But Snapchat users feel differently because they built their archives expecting free access.
“Hosting trillions of Memories isn’t cheap,” said social media consultant Matt Navarra. “Snapchat must cover storage, bandwidth, encryption, backups, and content delivery.” He added that the move feels like a “bait and switch.” “Encouraging people to archive their lives for years and then charging them doesn’t feel right,” he said. “These Memories aren’t just files — they are emotional artefacts.”
When memories become a business
Many users share that sentiment. One reviewer called their saved photos and videos “the most precious thing to me.” “They include everything — births, losses, family moments, friendships, and my teenage years,” they wrote.
Dr. Taylor Annabell, a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University, said Snapchat’s move highlights the risks of relying on commercial platforms for personal history. “These companies profit from user trust and the illusion of endless access,” she said. “It keeps people tied to the app, scrolling through their past. But they are not guardians of our memories — they are businesses selling access to them.”
