Snapchat and Tinder settle lawsuits under cover of Apple launch

Mike Gallagher

Sep 9, 2014 - 23:38

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Snapchat and Tinder settle lawsuits under cover of Apple launch

Swiped under the carpet? Not quite. Tinder and Snapchat chose the ‘perfect’ timing of Apple’s iPhone 6 event to announce some tech news it would rather people didn’t see. Source:

WITH everybody distracted by the bright lights and action of an Apple launch it's a perfect opportunity for companies to slip their ugly news under the radar.

That's exactly what Snapchat and Tinder did, using the iPhone 6 announcement to cloak some less-than-image-friendly announcements. It didn't fool anyone.

Snapchat rather conveniently chose this moing, just as Tim Cook was strutting on the stage, to declare they had reached a settlement with an ousted co-founder who claimed he invented the app's famous auto-deleting photo feature. Frank 'Reggie” Brown took the owners of app, which is valued at around $10 billion, to court over allegedly being kicked out from the company without receiving any equity despite claiming to have come up with the app's famous feature.

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Brown (far left) along with other Snapchat co-founders who he claims stole his idea without any equity. Source: Supplied

A settlement was agreed between Snapchat and Brown at a Los Angeles court for an undisclosed fee, but it is believed it could be upwards of $500 million as well as a statement from current CEO Evan Spiegel acknowledging Brown did contribute in the development of the app.

Snapchat was not alone in airing its dirty laundry in the shadows of the larger iPhones. Dating app Tinder slipped out the news that its CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Justin Mateen would be leaving his post following sexual harassment claims.

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Justin Mateen (left) and Sean Rad, CEO Tinder (right). Source: Supplied

Mateen had a law suit filed against him by former co-founder and former girlfriend Whitney Wolfe that alleged Mateen and current CEO Sean Rad had sent her sexist, racist and inappropriate emails and text messages, then fired her.

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Texts sent from Justin Mateen to Whitney Wolfe were published online. Source: Supplied

A settlement was agreed along with Mateen stepping down.

With the biggest event in the tech world happening at the same it might seem like a savvy timing but really it just makes things look a whole lot shadier.