A new privacy threat has emerged, as reports indicate that tens of thousands of private images and videos of users are being disseminated online. This incident follows previous waves of celebrity photo leaks, but this time the focus is on average Snapchat users whose sensitive data is now exposed to the world.
The leaked content reportedly originated from Snapchat, the popular messaging application that allows users to share photos that are intended to disappear shortly after being viewed. It appears that the breach is linked to a third-party application unauthorized by Snapchat, which has been capturing images and videos sent via the platform. This situation, dubbed “The Snappening,” was announced by an anonymous user on the notorious 4chan forum, claiming possession of a vast trove of Snapchat data.
Contrary to initial beliefs that Snapchat’s official servers had been breached, the company has publicly asserted that its security was not compromised. Instead, the disclosure points to third-party apps as the culprits, with Snapchat explicitly prohibiting their use due to significant security risks. A company representative emphasized that Snapchat’s systems were never accessed, and the responsibility for the exposure lies with users who opted for these unauthorized applications.
“We can confirm that Snapchat’s servers were never breached and were not the source of these leaks. Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that we expressly prohibit in our Terms