Snapchat – What you don’t know can hurt you

If you are a teen or parent of a teen, chances are you have seen or used Snapchat’s photo messaging app.  Basically, users take pictures or videos, or send texts and send them to a list of people in their contacts.  The sent message shows on their “Snaps” for about 10 seconds and then disappear.  The theory is they are supposed to be hidden from the users phone and deleted from the Snapchat servers never to be seen or heard from again.

On Jan 2, 2014, CNN reported: “(CNN) -- Hackers appear to have posted account info for 4.6 million users of quickie social-sharing app Snapchat, making usernames and at least partial phone numbers available for download. The data were posted to the website SnapchatDB.info. By late Wednesday morning, that site had been suspended.

The hack was seemingly intended to urge Snapchat to tighten its security measures. The anonymous hackers said they used an exploit created by recent changes to the app, which lets users share photos or short videos that disappear after a few seconds.”  
View the full article here: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/01/tech/social-media/snapchat-hack/ 

This is alarming as it is.  Hackers having access to information is terrible, but on a massive level like this, it is quite frightening.

Additionally, further research by The Gaurdian into Snapchat has proven that: “users should be clear that Snapchat photos are not currently deleted; they are merely 'hidden'.”

View the full article here:

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/partner-zone-infosecurity/snapchat-photos-not-deleted-hidden

Before signing up for the next great social platform, buyer be aware.  Do the research, take the time to understand how the systems are built, by what means are the companies protecting you and remember that what you share online or in a virtual world does matter and sooner or later things can come back to hurt you.  Be careful, be wise and most of all, keep your children protected from online trolling. 

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don't get left behind ~ 

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a social media manager, trainer and author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Links

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