Snapchat has warned its users against using third-party apps that let you save photos and videos, saying they ‘can’t be trusted’.
The company has been in the headlines over ‘The Snappening’, which saw a file containing 90,000 photos and 10,000 videos of Snapchat users – many of whom are teenagers – being posted online.
The images – of both male and female users – were acquired through the hacking of a third-party app called SnapSaved.com, which lets users store photos and videos sent through Snapchat – these usually self-destruct after a few seconds.
The hack affected mostly Swedish, Norwegian and American users.
Third-party apps can gain access to users’ Snapchat messages via the Snapchat API, but these apps aren’t built or maintained by Snapchat, nor are they approved or endorsed by the company – in fact they all breach Snapchat’s terms of use.
Because of the intrigue around Snapchat, there have emerged a load of apps that offer additional services including the ability to save the photos and videos sent between users. To use them, you have to give over your log-in details. This is where users are making themselves vulnerable, says Snapchat.
“When you give your login credential to a third-party application, you’re allowing a developer, and possibly a criminal, to access your account information and send information on your behalf,” the company said in a blog post .
Snapchat added that it would continue to do its part “by improving Snapchat’s security and calling on Apple and Google to take down third-party applications”.
It added that users can help themselves by “avoiding the use of third-party applications”.
Photo Credit: newtelegraphonline.com
