Snapchat is taking new measures to protect its users from spam. The photo-messaging service has implemented a security test to ensure that new users aren't spambots, The Verge reported.
The unique test, which The Verge describes as a "sophisticated CAPTCHA," asks users who are signing up to "find the ghost" in various photos.
Snapchat had previously only asked for an email address, username and password to sign up.
If users correctly select the photos with ghosts, they're in. But those who pick the wrong photos, who could presumably be spammers, won't be allowed to sign up for an account.
The update "should go a long way towards curtailing future spam and hacks," according to The Verge.
Snapchat, an ephemeral messaging service to send photos and texts that disappear within 10 seconds, is reportedly popular among tweens and teenagers.
The company's measures to increase security are likely due to the recent hacking job that exposed millions of usernames and phone numbers as well as an increase in spam earlier this month.
While Snapchat was slow to apologize for the disturbing leak that infiltrated 4.6 million accounts, the company posted a hasty mea culpa after users complained about a rise in spam.
The Los Angeles startup clarified in a blog post that the influx of unwanted messages were not related to the hacking job; instead, Snapchat cited "a quickly growing service" as the issue.
The leaked numbers appeared on New Year's Eve on a site called SnapchatDB, an unofficial and anonymous website that has since been shut down. Printed online with the last two digits redacted, the hacked phone numbers as well as the usernames were touted as a stunt to show Snapchat's vulnerability to hacking.
"This information was acquired through the recently patched Snapchat exploit and is being shared with the public to raise awareness on the issue," the hackers said on their website, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
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