Would Snapchat spy on its users?
Last May, it was revealed that some members of the social network's staff used their position to spy on users for personal or other purposes.
Apparently the Snapchat app has some built-in programs to access users' personal information and its programs are used by even social network staff for inappropriate purposes.
This article will also interest you: Snapchat's source code has been hacked and published on the GITHub platform
In an article published by the platform Motherboard, several Snapchat employees would use their professional situation, their privileges to use the tools discussed above in order to spy on the consumer. According to the source provided not the Snapchat's "SnapLion" program would provide keys to accessing personal information to the user. It's a program that in principle had been developed to provide information to law enforcement as part of an enforcement action a court order that complies with the rules. This access has expanded and other services have been affected by this in the case of "Customer Ops", a service security in their objective is to combat bullying or other spy program.
If you have to know that on the one hand you cannot move from this kind of program on social networking applications, given its usefulness for the police or for law enforcement in the observation public order and criminal investigations, however, the fact remains that that it exposes users to the drift of those who hold these kinds of tools in their hands. The solution that would then be required is to implement a policy that tends to control requests based on the requests received.
This kind of practice would not be a first. some former Snapchat employees or current employees have acknowledged that some of them had already taken advantage of those built-in tools to the social network spying on users for unsuitable purposes and without valid grounds who can justify that. As a result, the malfeasant employees were able to access photos, videos and Other information on the geographical location of individuals including telephone numbers, electronic, all of which were accessible to employees.
The leaders of the social network have reported they take the matter very seriously : "We keep very little user data and we have robust policies and controls to limit internal access to data we have. Unauthorized access is a flagrant violation of standards of conduct and, if detected, is immediately blocked. ».
To say that Snapchat has put in place a very strict controls that will now regulate access to data at all Levels.
it is true that having so much data on people within his reach, it would be tempting to abuse them. Snapchat is not the only social network that has faced such a concern. As of 2018, Facebook had already dismissed an employee who had allowed himself to use user data for inappropriate purposes.
It is to be asked by its digital solution providers to be very vigilant about their employees. Indeed, the professional private life of their users is in their hands. This information is very important and makes the very essence of digital identity.
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