FaceApp goes viral again, security questions resurface

  DUBAI – Popular app FaceApp has gone viral again on social media as questions surrounding its security resurfaced. Computer security experts have warned about the dangers of using the app that morphs photos of people into their older version or the opposite gender. The new craze has received hundreds of thousands of shares on Facebook and Instagram, with celebrities and public figures also sharing their own photos. It is undoubtedly fun. But is it safe? Fabio Assolini, senior security analyst at Kaspersky, assured that there are no malicious elements in the application. However, he cautioned that users must still be careful when sharing their image online. “We have to treat these new forms of authentication as passwords, as any widely available facial recognition system can end up being used for both good and bad,” Assolini said. The security analyst said that companies that create such apps could potentially sell these images to third parties, which opens the possibility of misuse. He also warned that data may be stolen by cybercriminals and “used to impersonate identities”. He urged users to read the privacy terms of such apps to understand the rights and access being requested. Last year, the Democratic National Committee in the US had warned users to delete the app from their smartphones, CNN reported. "Unfortunately, this novelty is not without risk: FaceApp was developed by Russians," according to the alert from Bob Lord, DNC's chief security officer. Lord said the DNC had "significant concerns about the app (as do other security experts) having access to your photos, or even simply uploading a selfie." "It's not clear at this point what the privacy risks are, but what is clear is that the benefits of avoiding the app outweigh the risks," Lord continued. The app’s makers said it uses artificial intelligence technology to edit photos. ICA/Expat Media
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