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Snapchat Joins the Gang, Releases Transparency Report

Posted by timothy on from the only-a-metaphoric-gang dept.

Snapchat has released its first transparency report, detailing the number of requests for data it's fielded from law enforcement agencies both in the U.S. and elsewhere. For a service sometimes vilified as a conduit for shady dealings, Snapchat received surprisingly few police requests from U.S. agencies (just 375, involving 666 accounts). Perhaps agencies are put off by the small number of Snapchat messages that may be vulnerable to such requests.

12 comments

  1. 666 accounts! by Bruce66423 · · Score: 2

    Obviously dodgy...

    1. Re:666 accounts! by TypeMail · · Score: 1

      Security is the most important thing !

    2. Re:666 accounts! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, it's just a rounding error.

    3. Re: 666 accounts! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As someone who suffers from

    4. Re:666 accounts! by zemus · · Score: 1

      As someone who suffers from hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, this article freaks me out.

  2. Nobody cares about Snapchat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Snapchat is for idiot teenagers who trust people just because they're given assurances. Snapchat just suffered a huge breech. Why should anyone use their product? They should have accepted the $1 Billion exit strategy.

  3. So easter is a holiday from work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I see many pages that are days' old. How much holiday is this for real? Never saw such nonsense in my time.

  4. That is cool by sanf780 · · Score: 2
    Snapchat, an application that emphasizes on short lived messages. No wonder search warrants will be a hit and miss! Unless you resort to the typical trick of wiretapping, that is, have another copy of the messages go to an interested party unbeknown to you.

    I foresee the US government asking for these messages to be to sent to the NSA as bad as requesting a backdoor to all non-military devices that use encryption. You surely heard about politicians asking for backdoors already, haven't you?

    1. Re:That is cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm a bit confused by the summary.

      It sounds like the author is saying that Snapchat receives few police requests. And the reason given is perhaps: http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/10/16/1620249/snapchat-search-warrants-emphasize-data-vulnerability

      But http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/10/16/1620249/snapchat-search-warrants-emphasize-data-vulnerability seems to talk about police requests.

      So, Snapchat receives so few police requests because police are requesting stuff? Isn't that begging the question?

      Am I miscomprehending something here?

    2. Re:That is cool by jaseuk · · Score: 1

      It's saying that the reason why so few police requests are received is due to the fact that snapchat can only produce information on unopened snaps (or stories). Most police investigations are in response to an event that has happened, rather than something they anticipate happening. The police would have to be exceptionally lucky to time the warrant to hit after the message has been sent, but before it is opened.

      Jason.

    3. Re:That is cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you. That cleared it up for me.

  5. That number of accounts.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    666 accounts, there are three numbers, all of them are six, half of six is three, snapchat is generally used by people with no life.....

    HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED!

    Praised be the Gaben!