Bitmoji acquisition hands Snapchat payment info, skin colour and body type

Snapchat confirmed the acquisition of Bitstrips, rumoured for several months, in a blogpost announcing integration between the two services.

This means users can download the Bitmoji app and sign in using Snapchat for the first time, as opposed to solely with an email address.

They can also share their Bitmoji selves on Snapchat, as well as other social platforms and messaging services. The acquisition also sees the introduction of ‘friendmoji’, a feature that allows two Snapchat friends to see themselves together in Bitmoji form.

Apart from adding to Snapchat’s roster of features designed to appeal to the selfie generation, Bitmoji could also hand Snapchat considerably more user information than it currently collects.

Bitmoji’s privacy policy, updated July 19 to fall in line with Snapchat’s policies, states: “When you create an avatar, we collect the choices you make about how that avatar appears, such as the avatar’s skin tone, gender, body type, hair colour, and clothing. Of course, you’ll also provide us whatever information you send through our Services, such as search terms. It probably goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: When you contact customer support or communicate with us in any other way, we’ll collect whatever information you volunteer.”

The company’s policy goes on to state that if it is involved in a merger or acquisition, it “may” share user information before and after the transaction.

Along with information on skin colour and body type – which may not necessarily reflect the user’s real appearance – Snapchat would also gain access to payment information for the first time.

Bitmoji is mostly free, but offers in-app purchases on ‘theme packs’ that give users added features for their avatar, such as new facial expressions. These do not appear to be live in the UK version of Bitmoji, but cost as little as $0.99 in the US – and require the user to register their payment details.

A final aspect of Bitmoji is its many brand partnerships. It has teamed up with entertainment brands for free themed Bitmoji stickers, including Ghostbusters, Disney, X-Men Apocalypse and Game of Thrones. But other Bitmoji categories include food, weather, dating and travel, opening up a host of potential brand partnerships.

Source: Campaign Live

  App, Bitmoji, Business, emojis, Marketing, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mobile, platforms, Snapchat, Social Media, UK, US