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Dave Miller – Tech Enthusiast & Security Expert – September 15th, 2022
The issue is, how secure is Snapchat while we all use it? Snapchat has provided social media with a fresh perspective on how to share our photographs and conversation beyond just sending as we do in our other applications.
As one of the finest places today to communicate and interact with friends and loved ones, is still Snapchat, and Snapchat strongly focuses on privacy as per main focus. Considering how far Snapchat has come from being merely a photo-sharing app. Only once we fully comprehend how Snapchat utilizes user data and put its Privacy Policy into practice.
Only then will we be able to get a response for its safety. Since Snapchat is popular among younger generations, their privacy is more at risk. Understanding the security precautions Snapchat has put in place for you can further assist you in maintaining your security.
Keep reading the article to learn more about Snapchat security and what you can do about it.
Although the social media environment is constantly shifting, one thing is sure. It has become an essential part of our lives in a concise amount of time. People use social media as a regular part of their lives. Still, companies are now swarming to contact customers on it as well. In all honesty, even if I don’t discuss the figures right away, it is clear that we all love being on social media.
Knowing how much social media has influenced and altered our lives may not seem like much. Pause to consider how things were a few years ago. Then perhaps you can comprehend how life would be now without it. Since social media platforms frequently change their features in response to user preferences and future expansion. As a result of this ongoing flux, more and more people are utilizing these services.
Social media still enables you to engage with friends and family and discover new things on a personal level. However, because there is so much content—what we refer to as information—on these platforms, you may utilize them effectively for learning and teaching as well.
Note: Approximately more than half of the world’s population—4.70 billion people—use social media daily, with the typical user accessing 6.6 social media sites. At the same time, 82 percent of Americans have a social networking profile.
Everything in life has a cost. When many teenagers claim that social networking sites and social media are crucial for developing connections and relationships. At the same time, one should be aware of privacy issues, including identity theft and the theft or abuse of personal data.
User privacy is now at the center of controversy surrounding the database’s capacity to securely keep such personal information due to the enormous flood of personally identifiable information available online and kept in the cloud. Therefore, let’s briefly look at how Snapchat developed over the years before I get into more depth about this issue.
Although not identical to any other instant messaging app on the market when it was initially released, Snapchat is another American multimedia instant app. The app now offers users Stories, videos, filters, and whatever else you can think of after initially focusing on person-to-person photo sharing. Everything you could need is there. Countless millions of people regularly utilize it. Additionally, it has more to it than “snap.” It is simple to use. It’s practical.
Note: Snapchat Has 332 million Daily Active Users Worldwide, and the number is only increasing.
Even though we all like Snapchat, privacy concerns are nothing new attached to it. Experts have always forewarned us about it, and its constantly evolving features have us wondering: Is Snapchat safe? I’m going to talk about this next.
Snapchat has changed many users’ features over the years to stay current with social media trends. All of this gets done to increase user engagement and maintain social media engagement for all users. However, several improved features have generated controversy, and privacy concerns have also got raised. Let’s examine a few of them now.
Amnesty International is a non-governmental group that prioritizes human rights. They produced a report back in 2016 regarding numerous apps. They noted how consumers’ privacy is at risk because tech giants like Snapchat neglect implementing fundamental privacy measures on their instant messaging platforms. They highlighted that while having a strong policy commitment to safeguarding users’ privacy, it falls short in practice.
The Federal Trade Commission is an autonomous organization whose primary duty is to uphold American civil law. The FTC accused Snapchat of misleading consumers about its privacy and security policies in 2014. Everything started when forensic specialists could retrieve Snapchat messages that were supposed to disappear according to Snapchat’s features.
However, it resulted in Snapchat breaking rules to stop misleading customer information. Snaps deleted and later retrieved from users’ phones have appeared in legal proceedings. Other claims included the transmission of users’ whereabouts and collecting their address books without their knowledge or consent. Later, Snapchat settled FTC complaints that its claims about messages disappearing were false.
Snap Maps’ release caused controversy since it allows users to follow the whereabouts of other users. Safety experts are worried about how the new function may get used to stalk or abuse people. Later, Snapchat stated that customer privacy is their first concern and that the location sharing feature is optional.
Similarly, Snapchat Spectacles, one of their products that integrated with Snapchat, caused privacy issues since users could secretly record strangers. Additionally, because of their straightforward style, individuals can mistakenly use glasses for conventional glasses.
But for the current scenario, in terms of online privacy, Snapchat seems a better choice now than Facebook and Twitter. Even Snapchat’s study for Millennials and Gen Z users of messaging and social media platforms revealed this. Although Gen Z are very concerned about their internet privacy, not all are happy with the level of privacy offered to them.
According to Snapchat, every new feature is subject to a rigorous privacy assessment procedure. The same level of care gets used to managing your information as they manage the company data. Snapchat also added end-to-end encryption to its network in late 2018. It prompted the platform to implement encryption for Snaps sent between users, increasing security and privacy.
It goes without saying that you must take additional precautions to protect your privacy anytime you use an app to send or receive information. Additionally, Snapchat provided some helpful instructions for this, which I will also cover below. Thes guides will decide whether Is Snapchat safe for you to use or not, as it merely depends on your usage of their service
Snapchat got explicitly designed to keep you connected to your friends. Even Snapchat advises users to accept friend requests from only people they know in real life.
When it comes to keeping protected data online, these two security credentials are essential. The majority of the time, you be protected against automated assaults. Even if a wall were to get breached, you would still be safe since only those with your password and 2-F authentication will be able to access your data. In the Snapchat app, you may set up two-factor authentication. More information about two-factor authentication.
Note: Don’t tell anyone your password; avoid using the same one for many apps and use robust passwords.
Only the Snapchat users you’ve added can watch your Story by default, but you may change this setting in the app to see more alternatives. Even so, discover how to tailor the Snap Map location settings so that only the people you choose may see your position.
Always strive to report harassment, bullying, and any other safety concerns you may have on Snapchat. So that you know, Snapchat has teamed up with the Crisis Text Line to offer more resources and help to Snapchatters in the US. Other organizations can assist you if you are not in the US.
Find out more about how to report abuse or safety issues.
Since excessive information flows on the internet or through these applications, Snapchat as a company is now focusing heavily on privacy issues. There are several ways for cyberattacks to target specific people. Users adore Snapchat because it allows them to stay in touch with everyone at all times through their snaps, despite its contentious history of goods and features.
As a result, most of the time, how safe Snapchat is will depend on how you use it and your privacy settings. You only have power over that, after all. Because Snapchat already controls the rest of the security and privacy planning. They are already putting all their resources into it as the company’s future depends on it.
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Dave Miller is an IT Consultant for Online Cloud Security and has over 7 years of experience in the Information Technology space. He also specializes in repairing laptops & computers. In his spare time, he loves to talk about new technologies and hosts monthly IT and Cyber Security meetings in the Houston area.
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Online Cloud Security is here to recommend you the most secure devices, from laptops to smartphones, we only want to provide you with products that we have tested and used ourselves for online security. Every product that we recommend is heavily inspected and tested for security against hackers, viruses, malware, and any other intruders that may want to steal your information.
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