Rumours are springing up that Facebook is preparing to launch its own app to compete with Snapchat. The “ephemeral messaging” app has become popular due to the ability for users to send pictures and messages that disappear after a single view. Facebook attempted to purchase Snapchat in November 2013, but the US$3 billion offer was rejected.
Known internally as “Slingshot”, Facebook’s take on the app is a sign that it considers this kind of messaging a very important component of the social networking experience; especially as rumours indicate Mark Zuckerberg’s personal involvement in the project.
Privacy issues have plague Snapchat of late; as information has been discovered that the app does not actually delete any of the sent messages. The messages are instead stored on servers owned by the company, and there is no indication of who is able to access this data. How Facebook intends to operate its own version of this sort of app is still in question as the company has not exactly had the best track record when it comes to privacy settings.
[Source: The Verge]
