Instagram is releasing a new feature that looks a lot like a Snapchat feature, which would make it the third Snapchat component the Facebook-owned company has copied.
The feature is a long-form video, TechCrunch reported Wednesday. The feature is very similar to a Snapchat feature called Discover, which also shows long-form videos.
The new Instagram feature would allow a space on the platform for scripted shows, music videos, and other types of videos longer than its current 60 second maximum length. An official announcement is tentatively scheduled for June 20, according to TechCrunch.
Instagram and its owner Facebook have been accused of copying Snapchat features before, including the use of filters and stories on the respective platforms.
Snapchat’s co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel was flattered by Facebook’s constant mimicking of the features, he said while speaking at Recode’s annual Code Conference in California on May 29. (RELATED: Snapchat CEO Fires Back At Facebook Coping His Ideas: ‘We’d Appreciate It if They Copied Our Data Protection Practices Also’)
It “is the most fantastic triumph in the world” when designers create something so “simply” and “eloquently” that the only thing Facebook or other companies can do is copy it, Spiegel said to applause from the crowd.
However, there is one more thing Snapchat would actually want Facebook to copy: its privacy features. Facebook has come under public scrutiny lately for its users’ data collection policies, with some saying it’s invasive to personal privacy.
“We would really appreciate it if [Facebook] copied our data protection practices also,” Spiegel said.
Alex Stamos, Facebook’s chief security officer, fired back at Snapchat on May 29 and tweeted that Snapchat perpetuates the use of revenge porn, when people post nude photos of others without their consent.
“Snapchat’s implicit promise that photos really disappear combined with poor API security has led to serious mass leaks of revenge porn. So no, I don’t think copying Snapchat would be a smart move,” Stamos wrote.
Follow Kyle on Twitter @KylePerisic
Send tips to kyle@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.