Snapchat is one of those apps that managed to change the way a whole generation of people interact. At its beginning the beauty of snapchat was that it allowed users to take pictures and record 10 second videos that would disappear after it was viewed, unless a friend took a screenshot image. Even once there was a screenshot, the user would get a notification informing them who now owned their image.
However, on Wednesday October 28, 2015 Snapchat updated the app, as well as its terms and conditions and privacy policy. This in turn sparked quite the discussion on other social media platforms such as Twitter. The terms and conditions stated the following:
“To the extent it’s necessary, you also grant Snapchat and our business partners the unrestricted, worldwide, perpetual right and license to use your name, likeness, and voice in any and all media and distribution channels (now known or later developed) in connection with any Live Story or other crowd-sourced content you create, upload, post, send, or appear in. This means, among other things, that you will not be entitled to any compensation from Snapchat or our business partners if your name, likeness, or voice is conveyed through the Services.”
This means that the pictures and videos that users take, thinking they are temporary and private, may in fact end up on Snapchats promotional material or on their other social media platforms. Many users used platforms such as this to send sexually explicit pictures because of the self-destruction feature. But now, users are upset. Snapchat admits to the FTC that pictures aren’t actually deleted but saved on a user’s device and can actually be recovered.
Ultimately, beware when using social media sites in general, last year for example, a site called “Snapchatleaked” exposed many scandalous pictures from their user’s Snapchats, on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. The same thing happened earlier this year with site, “secretsnaps.net.”
Snapchat founder Evan Spiel says the app should be used for talking and not for anything else. Nevertheless, users are still not pleased.
P.S. Colliegetes: Please remember nothing on the internet is private. No tweet, photo or video is ever truly deleted. So, be careful of what you decide to post. You never know when it could come back to haunt you.