Just when we were trying to figure out why have all these tech companies become so incompetent at keeping user data safe, Snapchat has found itself in the centre of the controversy. 

Turns out, both former and current employees of Snapchat have revealed that the company had dedicated tools to access the user data. By user data, we mean location information, saved Snaps, and even phone numbers.

© Reuters

According to a Vice's new report , two former employees, a current employee, and some internal company emails have revealed that Snapchat, at one point, created a dedicated tool called SnapLion to spy on users and collect their private information. This tool is said to have been created by Snapchat's employees themselves.

The report, which didn't reveal exactly when Snapchat used this tool, says the tool was apparently introduced to combat bullying or harassment on the platform. The report also noted that SnapLion was used to gather information on users in “response to valid law enforcement requests such as a court order or subpoena.” Departments in the company such as “customer ops” and security staff had access to SnapLion. What did they do with the info? God knows.

© Reuters

Although this isn't the first time we're reading news about our privacy breach, the fact that Snapchat has been a part of the fiasco is very surprising, to say the least. There's still a lot that we don't know about the said breach, so let's just wait for more info.