Snap initiated Snapchat end to end encryption for photos and videos which would prevent the media shared between users from being deciphered by any other party like service providers or the platform itself.
Formerly, the ephemeral Snaps were unencrypted and would also be stored in the company's servers for up to 30 days if the intended receiver is unable to receive the messages, leaving it unguarded for hackers, as reported by The Telegraph.
Subhash Sankuratripati, Snapchat security engineer stated to Star Online that the new feature would promise “increased assurance around privacy to our users” and the company plans to initiate an end to end encryption to text messages and group chats as well.
Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp have already initiated end to end encryption, Snapchat is a bit late but better late than never.
Also Read: Snapchat launches lenses for four-legged pups
End to end encryption is a minimal requirement and should be obliged by all social media platforms in the wake of increasing instances where accounts have been hacked.
Most recent one being, celebrity accounts being hacked on Twitter. Data can be read, viewed or modified by a third party if it's not encrypted.
Snapchat has a declining user-base, but still holds massive numbers and is popular among the younger generation; activating end to end encryption would probably make the platform more secure and reliable.