Snapchat had started issuing warning to its users about linking third-party apps to the
platform’s API. It would even start locking the accounts of those who don’t comply with this.
Snapchat messaging app is a hugely popular service due to its unique feature of disappearing
photos and messages. Snapchat cleverly deletes the data including texts, images and videos
once they had been viewed by the recipient. However the abundant use of the third party apps
for saving those photos and videos by the users had resulted in the cyber attack which caused
the he photo leakage in October. Snapchat is now determined to bring in stronger privacy
saving measures by formally cutting down the use of such apps and ban the notorious users.
‘The Snappening’
In October this year Snapchat was in the center of an infamous incident of photo leakage. A
database containing over 100,000 photos and videos which were sent across the Snapchat
network were online by the hackers. The leakage resulted in stumbling of the thousands of
nudes images of the teenagers which accounts to the child pornography. This incident was
dubbed as ‘the Snappenning’ over the social media. Snapchat has blamed the third party
apps for this fiasco and claimed that there dedicated servers were never compromised.
Even in the past Snapchat has suffered a high-profile attack due to its ‘FindFriend’ feature
which resulted in the leakage of around 4.6 millions of the Snapchat Username and its
associated phone numbers.
Turn Down For What -sam in da shower – You tell em Sam -What is SnapChat app. pics from delete account
Snapchat Wishes to Soften FTC With Third Party Apps Ban
Snapchat has long been in troubles with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for various
security and privacy related issues. FTC had alleged the Snapchat for misleading and
deceiving the users and collecting the user information in the violation of its own policies.
Furthermore the third party apps had made it possible to take snapshots of the messages and
download data before it disappears. This rebuked the claims of the Snapchat that its content
is deleted and not stored in any manner.
Snapchat has agreed to revise its privacy policy after making a settlement with the FTC
wherein it will be monitored by an independent privacy service for 20 years.
Google Removes Multiple Third Party Apps from Play Store
Google had removed the Snapchat hacks from its Play Store. Google had initiated a deep
clean of its Play Store and deleted more than a dozen third party Snapchat apps. A basic
search for the Snapchat apps on the Google pulls up various cashed third-party apps on Play
Store but on clicking on those links would display a ‘Page not found’ notification. However
some of the third party apps like Snapchat Save Pics are still available on the Google Play
Store.
But the quick search for Snapchat hacks on the iOS still shows a large list of third-party apps
and they seem to up and running like before. The reason is thought to be no high pressure
from the Apple for removing such Snapchat hacks at the moment.
