Snapchat has come to the revelation that Google did in 2020, unlimited free storage is actually really, really expensive. Snapchat is going to start charging people to save their memories starting in 12 months. Snapchat has offered free storage for Snapchat Memories since the feature was launched in July 2016. The vast majority of the app’s users will end up having to pay for some sort of storage once the new cost structure is implemented.
Snapchat will offer people five free gigabytes of storage for their Memories. Once a user exceeds five gigabytes they will need to pay for the privilege to use Snapchat’s, in my opinion, poorly made and insecure product.
Snapchat is one of those Silicon Valley companies that decided to try and dominate a market before actually having the technical knowhow to build a sound product. They have tried desperately over the years to build something that will keep people coming back, even if that comes at the cost of user privacy and safety.
In 2014 Snapchat settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission that alleged the company was misrepresenting the privacy and security aspects of the app. The FTC also alleged that the company was collecting user contacts and location data without users consent, according to the Washington Post.
Snapchat says in its privacy policy that Snaps and chats sent between users are not end-to-end encrypted, like Signal or Apple’s iMessage. In addition, anything stored in Memories, outside of My Eyes Only, can be seen by anyone at Snapchat, as it is not stored securely.
This is where the adage, “there is no such thing as the cloud, just someone else’s computer” comes into play.
Signal, on the other hand, is made by a non-profit organization and offers its services for free, with a lot of similar features to Snapchat. The Signal Foundation created and maintains the Signal Protocol which is what the vast majority of truly secure end-to-end encrypted messaging apps are based on. That protocol is also used by Whatsapp and the Google Messages app on Android devices.
End-to-end encryption makes it mathematically impossible for anyone to access your data except for you or your intended recipient. This technology is what secures health data and countless other types of sensitive information for people around the world.
What confuses me is that people would trust Snap Inc., a social media advertising company, with some of their most important and sometimes intimate photos and videos. This type of data does not simply expose what you look like but also the people you associate with and anyone around you who may not want to be in your photos or videos.
The photos and videos you capture on your phone are also routinely stamped with GPS location data which can be used to make a map of all the places you have ever visited and track you when going to sensitive places like your home or doctor’s office.
There is no reason to trust a company like Snap Inc. with your information, especially if you need to pay for the privilege of them abusing you and your private information.
Let me ask you a question, would you pay someone to record your every move, look at all your photos and videos and keep track of the people you talk to and what you say to them? If the answer to that question was no, then please delete Snapchat and never ever pay to be abused by a tech giant or a service that does not respect you and your data.
