Snapchat responds to data leak, allows users to opt out of “Find Friends” feature
The widely publicized Snapchat soap opera looks to finally be drawing to a close. After an Australian “security firm” published Snapchat’s API, allowing individuals to link up some user names with their phone numbers, Snapchat is now finally addressing these security concerns.
The security hole was made possible via Snapchat’s “Find Friends” feature which allows users to provide their phone numbers so that friends/family could easily find, and add them, on the service. Snapchat maintains this is still a worthwhile feature, and it’s not going anywhere. What Snapchat is tweaking is the ability for users to verify their accounts with phone numbers, but opt out of the Find Friends feature. This will come in a future update for Android and iOS.
More of an announcement than an actual apology, Snapchat maintains that no other personal information was leaked and your Snaps are safely secured in the cloud (where they’re deleted after being opened). To help address future vulnerabilities, Snapchat is now providing a handy email address: security@snapchat.com.