FaceApp goes viral with old-age filter, but raises concerns about privacy

(AP/ABC News) — A popular app that uses artificial intelligence to transform your current face into your younger and older selves is under fire for privacy concerns.

Security researchers say that only photos users specifically select to be analyzed are accessible by FaceApp. Other photos in smartphone’s libraries are not being accessed, even if they show up in a display within the app.

But the app isn’t free of privacy concerns.

Each selected photo is uploaded to the cloud to be processed – which FaceApp does not explicitly tell users. Critics have cautioned that the app could collect more than just the photos that are uploaded.

According to the policy, FaceApp “cannot ensure the security of any information you transmit to FaceApp or guarantee that information on the service may not be accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.”

FaceApp says it is deleting most of these photos quickly, but it is unclear how many it is keeping and what they are being used for.

“FaceApp’s privacy page also says they may share user content and your information with businesses that are legally part of the same group of companies,” ABC News chief business correspondent Rebecca Jarvis explained.

“It’s a Russian company, so once you grant access,” she added, “you are granting access to all of those companies.”

There are currently 80 million FaceApp users.

Read more from ABC News: full story.