Snapchat Refutes CEO’s Alleged Controversial ‘India Is Poor’ Remark

Ex-Snapchat employee Anthony Pompliano has sued the company for dubious business practices under CEO Evan Spiegel. One of the things he mentioned in his statement was a remark Spiegel allegedly made in a meeting when he was told that the app wasn’t performing well in foreign markets. He’s claimed to have said that “this app is only for rich people. I don’t want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain.” That comment has been refuted by the company.

A spokesperson for Snap Inc., which is the registered name of the company that owns Snapchat, said that this allegation is “ridiculous,” adding that “Obviously Snapchat is for everyone! It’s available worldwide to download for free.”

The company’s statement also pointed out that Evan has been particularly working to promote entrepreneurship in India and that he even traveled to the country in 2015 to speak at the Economic Times Startup Awards.

Just the allegation of the statement has not been taken kindly in India where the hashtag BoycottSnapchat has been gaining a lot of steam. Users are urged to leave a one-star rating for the app and then uninstall it in protest.

Snapchat’s app ratings have fallen considerably over the past couple of days as a result of this protest but this goes to show that the company is going to fight these allegations and won’t take it lying down.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General
Tags: Snapchat