The massive Snapchat leak that helped ring in the new year gave many users quite a scare, but the response from the team at Snapchat was even more worrisome. With over 4.6 million phone numbers leaked online, Snapchat admitted that it knew about the security flaw in its program that left it exposed to the breach for months, but had failed to provide a fix. Now, more than a week after the hack, Snapchat has finally updated its app to allow users to opt out of the “Find Friends” feature, effectively disconnecting phone numbers from usernames for those who prefer to err on the side of caution.
“This morning we released a Snapchat update for Android and iOS that improves Find Friends functionality and allows Snapchatters to opt-out of linking their phone number with their username,” said Snapchat in a blog post. “This option is available in Settings > Mobile #. This update also requires new Snapchatters to verify their phone number before using the Find Friends service.”
It’s a step in the right direction for improved security for an app that has been at the center of many privacy discussions over the past year.
