Snapchat is in damage control mode after its CEO, Evan Spiegel allegedly said that the app is "only for rich people", and he doesn’t wish to expand into "poor countries like India and Spain". Snap Inc., the company behind the app, has denied the allegation, calling it "ridiculous". Snap’s spokesperson told the media, “Obviously, Snapchat is for everyone! It's available worldwide to download for free. Those words were written by a disgruntled former employee. We are grateful for our Snapchat community in India and around the world.”
The entire incident started after a report by Variety, which stated that the CEO’s comments are contained in a lawsuit by Anthony Pompliano, an ex-employee. As per the report, the suit describes Pompliano’s three-week tenure at the company. He states that the company exaggerated its user data and that top executives were “completely misinformed” about key metrics. In response, Snap described Pompliano as a “disgruntled employee fired for poor performance” who filed the lawsuit for publicity. The company added that he knows “nothing about Snap’s current metrics.”
However, Spiegel’s alleged statements led to a backlash in India with many users uninstalling the app and leaving a one-star rating on the store.