Snapsaved.com, a website that enables Snapchat users to save private photos, admits they were the source of private images stolen and leaked to the controversial online message board, 4chan.
In a statement posted on their official Facebook page, the company confessed they were hacked and the photos stolen did not come directly from SnapChat.
To prevent further breach, Snapsaved.com has shut down their site and removed all database. Majority of users affected are from United States, Sweden and Norway.
The numbers, however, don’t seem to add up. Several credible sources reported that about 13 gigabytes worth of images were posted on 4chan. Others claim more than 200,000 private photos were leaked online.
However, Snapsaved.com claims only 500 MB of photos were stolen and no personal information were taken. The beleaguered company also declared the “hacker does not have sufficient information to live up to his claims”. They also tried their utmost to keep their database free of inappropriate images.
By default, SnapChat automatically removes images and videos after viewed by the receiver. But third-party apps like Snapsaved.com and SnapSave found a way to bypass this automatic photo deletion and save the images even without the consent of the sender.
This new scandal is more upsetting than the recent hacking of celebrity nude photos. SnapChat’s major users are between 13 to 17 years of age. Also, many users of this very popular smartphone app are notorious for sending and receiving racy images.
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