Super Popular FaceApp May Be A Hacking Tool, Says Congress

The number-one rated free app in the world right now is called "FaceApp," but some in Congress believe there could be something sinister about it.

We just became aware of FaceApp a few days ago when a co-worker shared some shots of himself going through the aging process. The "Meet Your Future Self" part of the app allows you to take a current photo of yourself, run it through their processor, and suddenly you're at least a decade or more older.

Joe and I had some fun in the studio with it, and I shared some shots with my kids. After a couple of uses, I deleted the app. Not because of privacy concerns, but because I'd pretty much had all the fun with it that I wanted.

Now, it seems (depending on who you talk to and what you've read) that was a pretty good decision.

There's a growing group of concerned lawmakers who think there may be something "less than benevolent" about what the app can do when you're not paying attention. Questions are now being asked about what happens to your photos once you let the app have access to them.

CNBC:

People are worried about FaceApp largely because the developer, Yaroslav Goncharov, is based in Russia. Still, there’s no evidence yet that Goncharov is anything more than a Russian developer making a fun app. But, even if there is no ill intent, there are very valid fears that photos uploaded to the servers could be shared with foreign governments.

We’re all right to be worried about our photos being uploaded to a server, especially since we have no control over deleting them after that happens. And you shouldn’t use this app if you’re worried that your picture might be saved for any period of time, perhaps longer than 48 hours.