Snapchat is all over the news from CNN to Slate, where journalists question its potential as a sexting tool. A mobile app that shares disappearing images, Snapchat can be used to send an explicit photo without fear exposure, CNN explained. The images cease to exist in seconds.
"Snapchat allows users to behave sexually without that behavior defining them," Slate suggested.
How Snapchat Works
The concept behind Snapchat is not missing the moment when taking video by fumbling with transitions between still photos and video. One button controls both, allowing a user to tap to snap a photo or hold down for video, the Snapchat blog explains. Though not marketed as a sexting tool, the app was partly inspired by former Rep. Anthony Weiner's Twitter scandal, one of its founders, Evan Spiegel, told Tech Crunch.
Snapchat Not Foolproof
Thinking a few naughty photos can't land you in trouble anymore? Not so fast. A nimble-fingered recipient can capture a screenshot, saving that naughty Snapshot image for posterity, CNN noted. The screenshot, in turn, can be distributed to the same malicious ends as any other sexting photo.
There are also ways to work around the time limit, using a computer program to save the file before opening it, the New York Daily News pointed out.
Safeguards?
Snapchat says its app allows users to control how long their image is visible. It will also notify the sender if the recipient takes a screenshot. But the sender who doesn't wanted a photo distributed is still at the mercy of the recipient in a practical sense, assuming the recipient was quick enough or to grab a screenshot or determined enough to save the file.
Who's Using Snapchat, Who's Not?
According to the Snapchat blog, some 50 million snaps are shared daily. ABC News says that's more than a billion snaps since the app was introduced in July. The app is particularly popular among teens, ABC says.
Techcrunch points out the notion that sexting is a key reason teens like Snapchat may be a myth. The sexting angle may be more media hype than reality, the magazine says.
There's also a clone on the market, Facebook's new Poke app. It offers the same user control over image longevity and notification of screen capture as Snapchat. But, Slate says, Facebook Poke has "so far failed to capture Snapchat's mojo."
Snapchat: Solution or Problem?
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Snapchat: Solution or Problem?
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Snapchat: Solution or Problem?
