Instead of celebrity photos appearing the Internet 200,000 innocent people have had their privacy exploited using Snapchat.
Around 200,000 private photos sent using the photo messaging app Snapchat were reportedly stolen and leaked on Thursday. According to reports, the Internet message board 4chan, which was recently involved in the celebrity nude photo hack, began passing around the Snapchat photos on Thursday.
Snapchat users have a history of sending racy photos. It is likely that many of the photos compromised belonged to underaged girls since a large majority of the users are between 13 and 17. If the photos are considered pornographic, possession and distribution for the photos could lead to prison time.
Snapchat was not compromised in the hack, according to a spokeswoman. However, hackers were able to get the photos using several third-party Snapchat apps, which are often used to save Snapchats without letting the sender know.
In a statement a Snapchat spokeswoman explained that the company explicitly tells users to avoid using third-party apps.
“Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that we expressly prohibit in our Terms of Use precisely because they compromise our users’ security,” the spokeswoman wrote.
Related:
- More Nude Celeb Photos Released. Anna Kendrick and Jennifer Lawrence Photos Go Viral
- Kim Kardashian Nude Photos Leaked, Celeb Photos Leak Continues
Photo Credit: Gil C/Shutterstock
