Snapchat updated its terms of service for its app this week with a number of significant changes, but you probably just clicked “accept” to keep using it, right?
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In May 2014, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) caught Snapchat misrepresenting its services, as the app had been billed as a private photo and video sharing app that allowed users to send each other content that would self-destruct and be deleted up to 10 seconds after it is viewed. A support page says that private messages, which Snapchat calls ‘Snaps, ‘ still automatically delete after they have been viewed, though that is not explicitly stated in the Terms of Service.
The terms give Snapchat a license to “exhibit, and publicly display that content in any form and in any all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed)”.
It also adds that it might “share information with entities within the Snapchat family of companies”.
Instagram has a similar clause in its terms of service as does Facebook, providing your content is published under the “public” setting. 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.
In short, don’t shoot anything you don’t mind the company using for itself.
The thing is, the terms are not all that uncommon for any sort of app that handles user-generated content.
Further, they can also screen and delete your content at any time for any reason.
According the Independent, Snapchat was given a low rating by the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s secure messaging scorecard. Also see: Best Android apps 2015/2016.
If you truly value your privacy and don’t ever want to find your picture messages the face of a Snapchat advertising campaign or to be passed on to third parties, your only real course of action is to stop using Snapchat.
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But let’s get real. For that reason, Snapchat is popular for “sexting”, meaning that lots of sensitive material is sent using the app. So now use it with the knowledge that whatever you share could end up in the hands of complete strangers. Be careful about what you share – if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to lose.
