TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – FaceApp, the app that changes the appearances of users when photos are uploaded, is taking the internet by storm.
Many users have flooded Twitter with their photos and the hashtag #AgeChallenge.
While the app is gaining viral traction through silly posts, many people worry about the security of FaceApp.
“Myself and my friends we all downloaded it and thought it was very fun and funny. But we promptly deleted it,” explained FaceApp user John Durnell. “Mostly because of like rumors going around that it was being sent off to the wrong place.”
The app was created by a Russian software company called Wireless Lab.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has even called on the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the app due to it’s Russian ties.
But is the app a threat to cyber security?
Sid Stamm, Associate Professor in Rose Hulman Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, says it isn’t anymore of a threat than any other apps you may have already downloaded.
For FaceApp, the devil is in the details, as the fine print alerts users that they’re uploaded photos used for edits will be sent straight to the software’s server or cloud.
“They just tell you that there is a cloud server and when you take a picture of yourself using the app it goes to the cloud. So if the cloud server is controlled by somebody who has poor security practices, you’re putting yourself at risk,” Stamm explained. “But if it’s controlled by somebody whose an expert in security and has a well armored fortress, it’s not as big of a deal.”
According to Stamm, every app found on Apple iOS or Android has to reach a certain security standard before it can be downloaded.
“If you’re using IOS Apple has vetted it,” he said. “If you’re using Android, other users of the Android app have vetted it.”
So really, it isn’t all that different from other apps we use daily.
“Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat,” said FaceApp user Ashlyn Stiener. “My face is already out there anyways”
FaceApp claims to only send photos used for editing to the server, and that most photos are deleted within 48 hours.
Silly photos, security threat or not, Stamm urges users to think about what they post online.
“You should consider all of the apps you’re using. A lot of us have apps that share a lot more than pictures of us,” he said. “And the information that you’re sharing could be putting yourself at risk.”
