Why name it Snapchat?
It is understood that the name snapchat is associated with photo messaging and sharing. To be
more illustrative, one can use this application to click pictures, record videos, add drawings and
text. The same can be sent to a selective list of recipients. These photographs are referred to as
snaps and therefore it is appropriate conjecture to comprehend the genenis of the terminology
“Snap chat”.
Interesting feature of Snapchat app
The app has numerous features and among them is the setting of the time limit for the viewing of
the snaps. It is understood that commencing from April 2014, the time period for which a snap
can be viewed, ranges from 1 to 10 seconds. Post viewing the snaps, an inbuilt technology frees
the memory from the recipient’s device by deleting the pictures from the company servers.
Presence of additional features to prevent hacking debacle
This feature promises additional security on the part of the app munufacturers aiming to curb the
activities of the hackers. In this context, it requires to be said that the company confronted with a
hacking debacle that led to the leakage of sensitive user information from the company servers.
This caused a severe breach of privacy policy as contents that supposed to remain in private
domain were made public by hackers.
Aftermath of the hacking debacle
It is because of this debacle with the Snapchat, users felt cheated and seemed to be extremely
unhappy with the activities of the company. They approached the US authorities in this matter
and it is understood that currently the company is being monitored by FTC (US Federal Trade
Commission). The photo sharing app making company entered into an agreement with the US
FTC to settle charges for having deceived millions of users by making false promises pertaining
to the disappearance of the messages through its app.
Snapchat’s agreement with the FTC
The FTC made serious allegations on the company for its dismal failure to protect the personal
data of the users. Later the company in context admitted its fault and came to a settlement with
the FTC agreeing to be monitored for a period of 20 years. In this regard the agencies have made
certain pertinent observations and warned the company in the context of a heavy financial
penalty if it fails to comply to the FTC observations.
After this debacle, efforts are made on the part of the company management as well as the
agencies to review the data security policy of the app and ensure that users’ interests are
preserved. It is on account of this chronological chain of events that the photo sharing company
resorted to improvised security features of its applications that promises complete safety and
security of user data from theft, hacking and other malpractices.
Addressing to the debacle, the Snapchat authorities were red faced as they stick to their point of
being a new company with very inadequate experience so far as data privacy and security is
concerned. They were, however prompt to claim that they have resolved the relevant agency’s
concerns by taking necessary measures that included the revising of the privacy policy as well as
app description. In this regard it is necessary to mention that according to the company sources,
further time bound measures are being taken to ensure that the safety and security of the private
user data of Snapchat is totally full proof and that the they do not get leaked under any
circumstances whatsoever.
