You may have thought it was cute to allow a now-viral application to morph photos of you today into life-like images of you a generation from now.
But did you read the fine print?
According to Forbes Magazine, more than 100 million users of FaceApp have — maybe unknowingly — given the Russian-owned app the right to use their pictures and names for as long as it sees fit.
"FaceApp" which has recently gone viral for its age filter, now owns access to more than 150 million people's faces and names.
According to their user agreement, the company owns a never-ending, irrevocable royalty-free license to do almost anything they wish with them.
— UberFacts (@UberFacts) July 17, 2019
Here’s the privacy policy in-part:
You grant FaceApp a perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, fully-paid, transferable sub-licensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform and display your User Content and any name, username or likeness provided in connection with your User Content in all media formats and channels now known or later developed, without compensation to you.
FaceApp has made a resurgence within the past week as many social media users’ timelines are being flooded with images of their friends/followers posting images generated from the app that give an estimate of how they will look several decades from now.
It’s smart not to download FaceApp, but the panic seems more related to the app being Russian than the app being invasive. https://t.co/CDbEKnZpXp
— Recode (@Recode) July 18, 2019
The application has been giving people the power to change their facial expressions, looks, and now age for several years, according to Forbes.
It seems many, including celebrities and pro athletes are having fun with FaceApp.
TONIGHT: Should’ve seen this FaceApp twist coming… pic.twitter.com/2Tfd6TIAfV
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) July 18, 2019
The question now becomes is this “peek” into the future worth compromising your present-day privacy?
BIG: Share if you used #FaceApp:
The @FBI & @FTC must look into the national security & privacy risks now
Because millions of Americans have used it
It’s owned by a Russia-based company
And users are required to provide full, irrevocable access to their personal photos & data pic.twitter.com/cejLLwBQcr
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 18, 2019
Democrats warn campaigns against using FaceApp because it’s from a Russian company https://t.co/xr2wTUwB7Q pic.twitter.com/lH1ryBnLEa
— The Verge (@verge) July 17, 2019
According to The Associated Press, many “trendy-at-the-moment apps are guilty of mining user data as a primary purpose” under the guise of providing something fun.
Tweeters and other social media users feared that FaceApp may be able to upload all of its users’ photos including screenshots with sensitive information, but the AP says those fears are not reality.
Still, is jumping on the bandwagon worth the risk?
