Launched in September 2011, “Snapchat”is a very popular photo messaging application available on iDevices and Android phones. The application enables people to share photos, videos, texts or even drawings with each other. At the end of 2012, over one billon photos were shared between users and, more precisely, 20 million photos were being shared per day. So far, the number of users has continuously increased…
Source : http://www.nbcbayarea.com
The application concept lies in only two words, namely fleeting and instant. The main asset of Snapchat is that photos disappear moments after they are sent. In other words, they cannot be resurfaced by the sender. As to the recipients, they are entitled to view the photos only for a few seconds, then the photos self-destruct after delivery. Unfortunately, the Snapchat app has its own hidden face. Apparently, the application does not actually delete the photos. Indeed, according to Richard Hickman, a student at the Utah Valley University, Snapchat stores every photo in a folder called “Received Images Snaps.” Thanks to an extension added to each photo file, namely “Nomedia,” it is hard yet possible to find the supposedly deleted photos. Changing the “Nomedia” extension makes the photos viewable again. Hence, Richard Hickman makes things obvious and clear: photos sent through Snapchat are saved on mobile phones.
As a consequence, the application lost practically half of its users in one month not only because of keeping photos in a folder but also due to its controversial use of private photos.
It’s odds-on that a great deal of users is going to forsake the Snapchat application in favour of a more secure and exemplary application. A great opportunity for Facebook and its similar application called Facebook Poke…let’s wait and see what happens…
Cédric Pierdet
