Controversy Sparks Over Privacy Risks of Viral FaceApp 📱

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA — Photo-editing app Faceapp is facing security concerns over allegedly storing user data onto Russian servers. <br /><br />Faceapp uses artificial intelligence to alter human faces into aged versions of themselves.<br /><br />Forbes reports that the app's parent company is Wireless Lab, a Russian-based tech company.<br /><br />In a statement to TechCrunch, Faceapp explained that only images selected for editing by users logged into the app are uploaded onto a cloud database, and most are deleted within 48 hours.<br /><br />The company said the reason for this is "performance and traffic," to ensure that user images aren't uploaded repeatedly after every edit.<br /><br />Faceapp claims user data isn't transferred to Russia and is instead stored in Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. It isn't sold or shared with any third parties, either."<br /><br />The company says users can opt out and remove their data from the app by sending a delete request, adding that they are working on a better user interface to deal with the issue.<br /><br />By agreeing to their Terms of Service, users are granting Faceapp permission to "modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform and display[c]" any images they put into the app.<br /><br />This gives Faceapp the license to use the images for anything from training its AI algorithm to advertisement, according to Forbes.