Snapchat settled charges from the Federal Trade Commission that the messaging company deceived users over the deletion of photos.
The FTC alleged that photos sent to users through the app could actually be saved when they were not supposed to and so Snapchat will now deal with privacy oversight by an independent monitor for a period of 20 years, reports Reuters.
In a statement, chairwoman Edith Ramirez said, "If a company markets privacy and security as key selling points in pitching its service to consumers, it is critical that it keep those promises."
According to Boston.com, there were third-party apps capable of saving the pictures and users could also easily get around a screenshot notification system. "Any recipient with an Apple device that has an operating system pre-dating iOS 7 can use a simple method to evade the app's screenshot detection," the FTC said, leaving users unaware if their pictures were in fact not permanently gone.
The commission also accused the messaging startup of leaving videos accessible, saving geolocation data and users' contact list from their phone.
The settlement comes just a week after Snapchat announced a redesign that now allowed for improved text and video messaging as well as the ability to switch between picture, text and video functions easily.
