McDonald’s is being urged to terminate its partnership with Snap due to concerns over child safety.
On 10 June, the social media platform announced that it has partnered with the QSR brand to offer MyMcDonald’s Rewards members a free one-month subscription to Snapchat+. The announcement claims that this is the first time McDonald’s is offering a digital subscription service as part of its program, but it has already received criticism.
Until 7 July, MyMcDonald’s Rewards members in the US can exchange 1,500 points for a free Snapchat+ subscription. McDonald’s has more than 150 million rewards members and this, of course, is good news for the social media platform.
In addition to its large memberbase, McDonald’s is popular among teenagers and young adults, so it makes sense for Snap, which also claims to reach 75% of 13-34 year olds, to collaborate with the brand.
But while the partnership may be beneficial for the social media app, it has already sparked controversy.
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) in the US has called on McDonald’s to terminate its partnership with Snap, which is facing a lawsuit in the US by parents whose children died after allegedly procuring illegal or counterfeit drugs on the platform.
The NCPC has written a letter to the F&B brand, urging it to ‘immediately end’ the promotional partnership. The letter also highlighted that Snapchat+ can be ‘especially dangerous’ since its features enable ‘upgraded location tracking, the ability of anyone to initiate contact with minors, and other features that are inappropriate for children and increase the likelihood of criminal activity.’
‘[It’s] possible McDonald’s didn’t do their homework on this one,’ Paul DelPonte, executive director and CEO of the NCPC, said on LinkedIn. ‘This is not in keeping with the fast food giant’s commitment to protecting children.’
Laura Marquez-Garrett, an attorney at the Social Media Victims Law Centre, which is representing the bereaved parents in a lawsuit against Snap, wrote that the partnership may have been ‘an oversight’ on McDonald’s part. ‘It’s hard to believe that it would knowingly align itself with this,’ she wrote.
Considering its commitment to supporting children through the Ronald McDonald House Charities, it would not be surprising if McDonald’s did choose to back out of the partnership.
Correction 12.06.2025: This article previously stated that MyMcDonald’s Rewards members could exchange 1,300 points for a Snapchat+ subscription. This has been corrected to 1,500 points.
