What's the deal with FaceApp, and should You be Worried?
Internet is buzzing about FaceApp, and not in a good way. Could it be a potentially unsafe app? A scheme to collect your data?
The controversy started when users reading the app's terms of services noticed the part about 'Reserving the rights to use your media for any purpose.', and took to social media to write about their concerns with the Russian app collecting their data. News outlets and youtubers have picked it up and you'll see many headlines such as these:
My thoughts:
Although it's quite common for apps to have these types of Terms of Service, and I'm not sure why FaceApp in particular is being targeted, it does make you wonder "Why on Earth do apps need all these things?". Things such as the right to use your media for 'any purpose'.
Like many commenters have noted - the average internet user gladly gives the same type of 'data' to other social networks such as Facebook, and "any person or government can easily track you already".
That is certainly true if you upload selfies daily/weekly, with your location data and/or name.
For example someone can reverse image search - drag and drop your picture into Google, and based on facial recognition it might lead them to your Facebook profile, or some other site with your information.
That only works depending on how much metadata you've shared, i.e how many of your recent selfies are public with your name etc.
If you're worried, or if you just don't want to make it too easy for advertisers and research online - in apps, or wherever someone asks for information - you could just go by your initials. Or never post anything public about yourself. Especially not from a phone or wifi with location data.
Maybe there really is no reason you need your full name on Facebook, if your friends, colleagues, and family can find you anyway. For me, if the average A.I or web scraper out there wants to know more about me it has to come and ask me itself :)
The controversy started when users reading the app's terms of services noticed the part about 'Reserving the rights to use your media for any purpose.', and took to social media to write about their concerns with the Russian app collecting their data. News outlets and youtubers have picked it up and you'll see many headlines such as these:
My thoughts:
Although it's quite common for apps to have these types of Terms of Service, and I'm not sure why FaceApp in particular is being targeted, it does make you wonder "Why on Earth do apps need all these things?". Things such as the right to use your media for 'any purpose'.
Like many commenters have noted - the average internet user gladly gives the same type of 'data' to other social networks such as Facebook, and "any person or government can easily track you already".
That is certainly true if you upload selfies daily/weekly, with your location data and/or name.
For example someone can reverse image search - drag and drop your picture into Google, and based on facial recognition it might lead them to your Facebook profile, or some other site with your information.
That only works depending on how much metadata you've shared, i.e how many of your recent selfies are public with your name etc.
If you're worried, or if you just don't want to make it too easy for advertisers and research online - in apps, or wherever someone asks for information - you could just go by your initials. Or never post anything public about yourself. Especially not from a phone or wifi with location data.
Maybe there really is no reason you need your full name on Facebook, if your friends, colleagues, and family can find you anyway. For me, if the average A.I or web scraper out there wants to know more about me it has to come and ask me itself :)
Comments