Snap partnered with Media Neuroscience Lab (MNL), University of California, Santa Barbara and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (AII), University of Southern California to perform a multi-year, first-of-its-kind representation audit of English-language content on Snapchat. The project evaluated partnered content (content from traditional and digital media partners) and Snap Originals (shows made exclusively for Snapchat).  The team used a combination of computational methods and human assessors to understand how well gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, and disability were represented in Snapchat content. The audit identified where our partnered content ecosystem more or less effectively reflected our users, highlighting positives as well as gaps we need to address. For example, Black and African American representation is on par with the national average, but LGBTQ+ representation has room to grow. It also revealed how effectively Snap Originals allowed us to showcase diverse talent and inclusive stories, representing our community members across all of the facets of their identity. 

One of the difficult decisions we made as a business in 2022 was sunsetting our Snap Originals. But we're shifting that focus to our network of trusted partners and creators, working with them to apply the lessons we learned while producing Originals. We’re using these insights to create a Content Action Plan that will help us close the gap between who Snapchatters are and the identities and content they see represented on Snapchat.