The FaceApp as seen on Apple's App Store. (Image via: Forbes)

Seeming Suspicious, FBI & FTC to Probe FaceApp

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Business & Industry
Internet & IT
Jul 18, 2019
2541
Currently, it is a global trend to see your old-look through a photo app called FaceApp. Developed by a Russian company based in Saint Petersburg, Wireless Lab, FaceApp uses Artificial Intelligence to generate a high-resolution, detailed photo of your face when you are older through your photos.

It does not only make you older, but it also makes you younger. Even more, it can bend gender. In other words, it manipulates your picture as believable as possible. The quality of the photo makes FaceApp a boom in the global communities.

Therefore, many people are impressed and start using it as the perimeter of their older look. The trend is getting hotter by the #agechallenge on Instagram. It gains about 80 million users worldwide.

Becoming a global trend also has its own drawbacks. The U.S, known for its cold, severe bilateral relations with Russia, concerns about the app’s privacy relating it to Russia. The concern mainly came from the Democrats.

Senior Senator of the U.S, Chuch Schumer, also a Democrat, also doubts FaceApp’s privacy commitment. Having sent a mail to the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, and Chairman of Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Joe Simons, Schumer called for the FBI and FTC to further probe the Russian app, afraid that it might be a weapon for Russia to infiltrate the U.S.

Schumer also shared the letter on his Twitter account.

Due to the paranoia, the Democratic National Committee forbids its presidential candidates for 2020 elections from using FaceApp.

In his letter, Schumer wrote that FaceApp posed a national threat to the U.S since the app requires full and irrevocable access to the user’s personal data. Schumer’s concern was that FaceApp shared these data and information to third parties, including foreign or Russian government.

However, the Chief Executive of Wireless Lab, Yaroslav Goncharov, clarified afterward that the does not sell or share its users’ information to any third parties or any foreign government. Also, he stated that the users often did not sign into the app so it would be impossible to retain any data, and within 48 hours of update time, the images are deleted from their server.

However, some photos might be stored for a short time, to enhance performance and ease access due to traffic so that the users do not have to upload the same photos over and over again.

Regarding the paranoia of Russian authority possessing the information of FaceApp’s users, Goncharov’s “No” seemed convincing enough.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-faceapp-russia/u-s-senator-schumer-asks-fbi-ftc-to-probe-russias-faceapp-over-security-concerns-idUSL4N24J0BF?rpc=401&

Business , Industry , Internet , Network , Photo , Age-Challenge , U.S , Russia , FaceApp , Privacy , Investigation