Today everywhere you go, you are going to hear people are talking about FaceApp application. It has been a trending topic in the world for the past few days according to Twitter. Starting from teenagers until celebrities are posting their pictures on the FaceApp.
What is FaceApp?
In case you don’t know about FaceApp, it is a mobile application which is developed by Russians back in 2017. It really went viral during the launch of the app. Now, the FaceApp is becoming viral again eventually. The app uses machine learning to create a filter where it can make you look older or younger. Surprisingly, 90% it always gives the best output until you can see the shade of your grey hair. Other than that, the app is also able to make your photos looks like you are smiling even though you are not smiling when you capture the picture.
Until now there are no privacy issues reported. However, the method the app applies the filter sounds a bit dangerous. This is because of each time a user selects a specific photo, the FaceApp company uploads the specific photo to its server and then applies the filter. Until today, there isn’t any evidence neither the app downloads all your photos in your camera roll nor it downloads the filtered photo yet.
The whole processing supposedly should be done on the device itself rather doing it in the server. According to Yaroslav Goncharov who is the CEO of the FaceApp, the main reason the app uploads the photos to the company server is to save the bandwidth during the user makes a modification to the photo. After the whole process is done, the photos will be deleted from the server.
Now the question is, in the meantime, it is in the server, the chances for a hacker to hack the server isn’t it high? In order to solve this issue, the FaceApp company says it will accept users request to remove their data from the server. You can request it manually by going to the Setting in the FaceApp and then tap on Support>Report a bug with the word “privacy”.
Another privacy issue
Other than that, there is another privacy issue which users should take note is the policy is not GDPR compliance. This means, your data can be sell to third party companies. However, FaceApp strongly denies it sells your personal information to any other third parties.
Despite that, you have to trade off your photos if you want to see how you look like in 80 years old. Unless if you are concern about your privacy, then you know what you should do. Some say, your photos which are uploaded to the server will be shared to the Russia security services. If you worry about Russia then you should also be worried about China and the US. Many apps are from China too. Nevertheless, have fun playing with the app until there isn’t an issue.
