Here’s how Snapchat users could be breaking the law

One of the virtues of Snapchat is that an image is deleted after a matter of seconds.

It is handy for a number of reasons, from risky private jokes to sensitive private selfies. Many things would simply not be shared using the app if it wasn't for the very finite time limit. That said, the recipient can obviously always screenshot the image they have received, but at least the sender knows when this is the case due to an alert that informs them of the screen-grab. However, just because you can save an image to your phone doesn't mean it then becomes your personal property. There are laws in place to stop you sharing the screenshot with friends or others. As the Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey stated recently, it’s completely illegal to redistribute a Snapchat image. A question was posed to the minister about the legality of Snapchat to which Vaizey replied:

“Under UK copyright law, it would be unlawful for a Snapchat user to copy an image and make it available to the public without the consent of the image owner. The image owner would be able to sue anyone who does this for copyright infringement. “Snapchat photos are automatically deleted after 10 seconds. The Snapchat Privacy Policy states that if Snapchat is able to detect that a recipient has taken a screenshot of an image, they will try to inform the original poster. However, Snapchat advises users to avoid sending messages which they would not want to be saved or shared. “The disclosure of private sexual photographs or films without the consent of an individual who appears in them and with intent to cause that individual distress is an offence under Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015. Those convicted could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison.”

So be warned - don't go sharing. Not only is it a bit of dickish thing to do, but it could get you in trouble with the law.