The Chief of Operations, Kassem Farhat, has issued a formal statement expressing profound disappointment and bewilderment regarding the data handling policies of Snap Inc. In a recent communication, he disclosed that he has decided to file a complaint with the relevant data protection authority, citing serious concerns over user data management.
Mr. Farhat detailed an incident involving the purchase of a device which was subsequently banned, identified as SS06. Following this, he contacted Snap Inc. to seek clarification and assistance. However, he reports that the company’s representatives purportedly indicated an inability to take action, even when he requested the deletion of all device data in accordance with Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The company’s Data Protection Officer reportedly responded with the statement, “we cannot do that,” raising questions about the company’s capacity to handle user data responsibly.
The Chief of Operations highlighted the inconsistency in Snap Inc.’s practices, noting that the company seemingly collects substantial amounts of user data—evident from logs showing various metrics captured during login—yet appears incapable of deleting this data when requested. He emphasized the importance of data privacy and called into question how a large corporation could be unable to manage data deletion processes effectively.
Mr. Farhat emphasized his readiness to escalate the matter by informing the European Commission about these practices and proposing sanctions against Snap Inc. He expressed strong discontent with what he described as a troubling cooperation with the company and voiced concern over its apparent reliance solely on artificial intelligence, implying a lack of human oversight within the organization.
Call to Action and Public Engagement
The Chief of Operations urged users and stakeholders: “Share this post! Repost it! File complaints—fight for your data sovereignty!” This call underscores the importance of collective action to uphold data rights within the European Union and hold corporations accountable for their privacy obligations.
This statement serves as a formal warning and a call for remediation, urging Snap Inc. and its support channels to address these urgent data privacy issues. It affirms that such practices are unacceptable within the EU and calls for immediate attention and corrective measures by the company to ensure compliance and protect user rights.