Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Edward Smith/EMPICS Entertainment

Now the government is requesting user data from Snapchat

Snapchat revealed the data as part of its first transparency report.

SNAPCHAT HAS JOINED the likes of Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter by releasing its first ever transparency report.

Between 1st November 2014 and 28th February 2015, the Irish government made two requests for data from the app, both of which required specific account identifiers like usernames, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Neither of those requests resulted in any data being produced, and no emergency requests were made during this period.

In the US, 375 requests made in total with 92% resulting in some data being produced. For the rest of the world, only 28 requests were made with 21% of requests being granted in some form.

Snapchat transparency report Snapchat Snapchat

The company plans to publish bi-annual transparency reports in future with the first one happening in July 2015.

Snapchat has been criticised for both its privacy and security measures in the past, but it has made efforts to clean up its image such as releasing guidelines for parents and teens.

The company is also cracking down on third-party apps gaining access to its service. Snapchat never made its API public, but that didn’t stop third-party developers accessing it and creating their own apps using its functionality. This led to some security issues occurring such as hundreds of thousands of saved Snapchat photos being accessed and published online.

While it’s stated any app that claims to offer Snapchat services can’t be trusted, the company believes it has enough measures in place to block all access from third-party apps.

Read: The government is making fewer Facebook data requests, but more are being granted >

Read: This mechanical exoskeleton could help take the effort out of walking >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
15 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute smatrix mantra
    Favourite smatrix mantra
    Report
    Apr 24th 2023, 3:02 PM

    In other news Google CEO gets 200 Millon $ pay rise, mostly for laying off people from work. A single person! Rich getting richer… Poor getting poorer and sicker..

    84
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Gilroy
    Favourite Daniel Gilroy
    Report
    Apr 24th 2023, 3:21 PM

    Neo Liberal capitalism is working just fine for the people who impose it. They take all the grotesque profits being made and when things go bad get the citizen tax payers to bail them out. Socialise debts keep profits. Simple really.

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret E
    Favourite Margaret E
    Report
    Apr 24th 2023, 4:46 PM

    Trying to survive on Invalidity Pension is heartbreaking.

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Barry
    Favourite Pat Barry
    Report
    Apr 24th 2023, 7:21 PM

    This has been talked about as far back as 1860.

    11
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds