By Marrissa Ballard | Staff Writer
A series of recent snapchat leaks has lead many users to reconsider just how much “privacy” the app guarantees.
The new trend in phone apps has been features that allow some sort of anonymity or privacy. Apps like Snapchat, Whisper, and Secret are extremely popular because of this trend. Snapchat, though not anonymous, allows its users to send photos or videos that only last for a set time period and then are deleted.
However it has become apparent that the promise of privacy does not guarantee it, especially when that promise is made by an app or website. Hundreds of thousands of photos have been leaked by websites or hackers since January 2014. HuffingtonPost reported that the latest leaks this month included over 200,000 photos.
The makers of Snapchat spoke out after the leaks, stating that the app itself was not hacked. A website called Snapsaved, which allows users to save photos sent on the app, was hacked and this resulted in the leaked photos.
Considering that, according to HuffPost, over half of Snapchat users are between the ages of 13 and 17, these leaks are a huge problem. Because Snapchat photos are supposed to disappear, many people use it to send racy photos. Some of these leaked photos could be seen as child pornography.
Gina Tonini, Salve Resident Advisor, said the leaks are ridiculous.
“You semi-trust the app,” Tonini stated. She has learned that the internet is not safe or private in any way. “I don’t put anything on social media that I don’t want everyone to see.”
“Nothing is private anymore,” Sarah Groff, Sodexo Employee, added.
In recent years, photo leaks have become more and more frequent, especially for high-profile celebrities, specifically women. Actress Jennifer Lawrence recently had her photos leaked as well.
The recent Snapchat leaks did not involved any celebrities, it affected hundreds of users who discovered their pictures had been leaked online.
The leaks also emphasize a larger problem today. Social media has been responsible for a decrease in privacy. Tonini in particularly mentioned how she doesn’t like how people always have to post pictures and statuses about where they are or what they’re doing.
“You have to prove yourself all the time,” Tonini said.
The public is left with many questions after leaks like these. Does privacy even exist today? The internet and apps, even the ones that give the illusion of privacy, seem to be proving that nothing is private. No website or app can promise users any sort of privacy anymore, especially with the presence of expert hackers who can and frequently do access private information.
