While some suggested that the leak, dubbed ‘The Snappening’, might be a hoax, The Daily Beast confirmed the photographs were leaked online via viralpop.com.
In a statement, Snapchat claimed that the age range of 50% of its users vary between 13 and 17 years old, noting that this latest leak possibly includes images which are classified as child pornography.
It is estimated approximately 90,000 photographs and 9,000 videos were leaked through a third-party app, with many of the images originating from Europeans who account for 32 percent of Snapchat’s users.
Accordingly, this stunt has led to the conclusion that the mobile app's core feature - delivering photos and videos that vanish seconds after viewing - is flawed. The negative publicity surrounding that speculation has spurred criticism about its lax security.
However, the scandle has not yet hurt the popularity of Snapchat among teenagers, partly because no mass publication of leaked photos has materialized.
The messaging service remained among the five most-downloaded photo and video apps over the weekend, according to analytics service App Annie.
The issue arose last week when hacker forums claimed unknown parties had created a file holding at least 100,000 stolen Snapchat photos, including many of minors, which could end up being posted online. The anticipated event, dubbed "the snappening," was widely reported, including by Reuters. Source