Social media rumors were taken far too seriously this weekend, as word spread around the globe that Snapchat’s recent privacy policy update gave the company ownership over user content, which includes photos, videos, and text messages. The rumors were picked up by publications that included The Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald. Snapchat addressed the rumors in fairly plain language this morning with a statement assuring that its users retained control over their content.
In the statement, Snapchat assured users that they were not storing user content indefinitely.
“The Snaps and Chats you send your friends remain as private today as they were before the update,” the statement read. The company further elaborated that while messages were deleted from Snapchat’s servers after viewing, the company had no control over screenshots or pictures taken by their recipients.
It’s worth noting that the updated terms of service were far from ambiguous when it came to content rights, which just shows you the power of unsubstantiated internet rumors.