Snapchat Warns It Will Permanently Lock Accounts of Third-Party App Users

Snapchat, after last week's announcement stating that it has started advising users utilising third party apps to change their account passwords, has now started sending out warning messages to the same users with graver implications.

"We've noticed that you're using a third-party application to access Snapchat, putting yourself (and possibly your friends) at risk. Please change your password and stop using third-party applications when you access Snapchat," states the warning message (via Phonearena).

Third-party app users who received the message added that the warning leads to a Snapchat support page that says use of third-party apps violates Snapchat's terms of use, and further mentions that the continued use of third-party apps can lead to the permanent locking of the user's account. User accounts that have not been permanently locked should be able to unlock their accounts by changing passwords.

"If you continue to use these apps, we will have to lock your account. If you have already been locked, you may be able to unlock your account by changing your password. If you do not stop using third-party applications, your account may be permanently locked," states the support page.

Notably, the ephemeral messaging service was said to have been hacked in October, and over 500MB worth of images were leaked. The leak was identified to be due to third-party services, with the popular Snapsaved.com named - a website that allowed users to save images sent via Snapchat.

Snapsaved soon after came forward to admit its servers had been hacked, and said on its Facebook page that it had deleted its entire website and database as soon as it discovered the intrusion.

Snapchat had then made a statement clarifying that its servers were not breached, nor was it the source of the leaked images. The company blamed third-party apps for what was being referred to as "The Snappening".

This did not lift the blame entirely from Snapchat however, as it proved that developers or criminals were able to access Snapchat's private API that it used to run the service, and experts pointed out the firm's cavalier approach to privacy was unbecoming of a disappearing chat service. The company should have been able to detect and stop third-party services, experts argued.