FTC Approves Final Order on Snapchat Charges
The FTC approved a final order in a 5-0 vote that settles charges made against Snapchat, an application allowing users to share photos that disappear within seconds, said an agency news release Wednesday. The charges alleged Snapchat “deceived consumers with…
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promises about the disappearing nature of messages sent through the service,” said the news release. In the order dated Dec. 23, the FTC ordered that Snapchat “shall not misrepresent in any manner, expressly or by implication, in or affecting commerce, the extent to which respondent or its products or services maintain and protect the privacy, security, or confidentiality of any covered information, including but not limited to: (1) the extent to which a message is deleted after being viewed by the recipient; (2) the extent to which respondent or its products or services are capable of detecting or notifying the sender when a recipient has captured a screenshot of, or otherwise saved, a message; (3) the categories of covered information collected; or (4) the steps taken to protect against misuse or unauthorized disclosure of covered information.” Snapchat also must create a “comprehensive privacy program” that takes into account risks and controls. A third-party professional will have to assess that program on a biennial basis, it said.