Worried, America asks the FBI to investigate the viral #AgeChallenge FaceApp application
Lately, smartphone users often upload photos of faces that look older and younger than the original. Of course it’s not a real photo, but the result of the FaceApp application effect that is currently viral. There is even a viral challenge via the hashtag #AgeChallenge.
Due to the rise of FaceApp users, it turns out that the US government is worried about the data privacy of users who use the application. US Senator Chuck Schumer asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US trade commission (FTC) to conduct investigations.
Schumer was worried because of the country of the application maker. FaceApp was created by a Russian company called Wireless Lab.
“I also ask the FBI to investigate whether personal data that US users have uploaded to FaceApp will be kept in the hands of Russia, or entities affiliated with the Russian government,” Schumer said.
In addition, Schumer also monitors the provisions of the FaceApp application which is considered to be able to deceive users about privacy. It is possible that users are not safe and who use the FaceApp application their personal data will be used for the benefit of the developer.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) shares the same concern. Chief Security Officer Bob Lord confirmed for all DNC officials who used the application to delete on their cellphones.
“However, it is not explained what the risks will be regarding privacy. Obviously, how much the application provides benefits rather than the risks that will be experienced by users, “said Lord.
The DNC itself has also had bad experiences with the Russian government. Several years ago, in 2022 and 2022, the DNC computer network was also breached. Then some US cybersecurity experts think Russia is the mastermind of the chaos.