Skip to main content

Snap makes key hire to ensure no one copies Snapchat features again

snapchat
dennizn/123RF
Snapchat developer Snap Inc. isn’t happy about Facebook stealing from it.

For proof, look no further than its recent IPO filing, in which it states that Facebook subsidiary Instagram mimicked its Stories feature. Despite listing the big blue social network as a rival, it didn’t mention the fact that Facebook itself has copied the social-sharing function, too, both on Messenger and within its flagship app.

To ensure its products are safe from plagiarism in the future, Snap has quietly hired a security expert in the form of Laurent Balmelli, reports Bloomberg. After spending a decade at IBM, Balmelli went on to create and co-found several tech startups, one of which (Strong.Codes) creates tools to protect software code from reverse engineering: A process that sees copycats take apart a product in order to see how it works.

“Software protection is a topic that is becoming increasingly important, especially since the emergence of … mobile computing,” the startup wrote on its website. “Our goal is to make software piracy much more expensive and complicated.”

Alongside its hire, Snap has also reportedly registered its first subsidiary in Switzerland — at the same location in which Strong.Codes. It is unclear at this stage whether Snap has acquired Balmelli’s startup. In a regulatory filing it states that its Swiss unit will focus on acquisitions “in the fields of technology and computer security,” as well as “the commercialization of software and computer equipment.” Snap has declined to comment on the hire. The company behind the popular visual messaging app now reportedly has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, and Dubai.

But has its move to beef up security come too late? According to some, the damage to Snapchat may have already been done. A recent report by TechCrunch claims that since the introduction of Instagram Stories in August, various analytics companies have noted declines in Snapchat Stories view counts ranging from 15 to 40 percent. Meanwhile, Instagram’s version of the feature has gone from strength to strength, most recently racking up an impressive 150 million daily views.

Editors' Recommendations

Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
No, Snapchat’s original show wasn’t bigger than Game of Thrones
game of thrones

Snapchat Chief Business Officer Jeremi Gorman said that one of Snapchat’s original shows was watched more than the Games of Thrones finale. That's not really true.

Gorman said in a session during Advertising Week that one of Snap’s Originals, a reality show called Endless Summer, was watched by 28 million people, according to CNBC. In comparison, a record-breaking 19.3 million people tuned in for the final episode of Game of Thrones in May. Endless Summer stars YouTube star Summer Mckeen's life in Laguna Beach, California.

Read more
Snap reportedly wants more music in Snapchat to compete against TikTok
snapchat

Snap Inc. is reportedly in discussions with major record labels to add more music to Snapchat, as the company looks to better compete against rivals such as massively popular TikTok.

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Snap is seeking broad rights to the music catalogs of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. This will be a departure from the music licenses that Snap currently holds, as they are on a case-by-case basis.

Read more
A host of new changes adds to Snapchat’s increasing functionality
Snapchat

Snap wants to attract new users, but the company knows it may be tough to do so through its own app. That's why the company announced a series of partnerships with other companies to inject services like Snap's popular Stories product into other apps. Notable partners on board include the likes of Tinder and Houseparty.

Snap is also promoting Bitmoji, which will now appear in a series of other apps, too. For example, Fitbit announced that it was working with Snap on integrating Bitmoji into some of its products. Fitbit smartwatch users, for example, will be able to link their Snapchat and Fitbit accounts to see their Bitmoji on their watch, which will indicate the activities that they're performing. Clock faces will also change through the day. Examples include your Bitmoji throwing confetti when you achieve your goal or dancing with your alarm clock when your alarm goes off. Bitmoji are also coming to Venmo -- where users will be able to comment on payments using Bitmoji stickers.

Read more