Snapchat Hires Lobbyists

Snapchat hired Washington, D.C. lobbyists to protect their interests for the first time, according to reports.

Snapchat, which is an ephemeral photo-sharing app, signed Heather Podesta + Partners according to a Jan. 1 lobbying disclosure, The Hill reported.The lobbyists are expected to work on communications, computers and consumer protection issues for the startup and educating policymakers on the app's operation and practice.

The lobbyist hire comes on the heels of Snapchat's data leak that left millions of users' information exposed and some called for a Federal Trade Commission investigation. The hackers claimed it was done to expose Snapchat's vulnerability and get the startup to fix it. Snapchat said that it installed new measures to battle "spam and abuse," according to a blog post.
 
The Electronic Privacy Information Center recently complained to the FTC about Snapchat's storing of user photos and videos, despite promises that the they would be deleted. It also called for an investigation of the app and its data security.
 
The recent federal interest in Snapchat is enough to warrant a group of Washington, D.C. lobbyists, especially from a company that Mark Zuckerberg allegedly offered $3 billion to buy, to keep lawmakers off of its back. A federal probe is not what the startup wants, especially if it's hoping to eventually go public.
 
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