Privacy Issues Arise From Popular FaceApp

Anyone on social media has seen people using an app to see what they might look like in 20 years, but FaceApp is not all fun and games. When you use the app, and others like it, experts said you're also giving up some of your privacy.

The FaceApp "aging challenge" spread like wildfire across social media over the last few weeks, but Intellectual Property Attorney Paul Rossler said users of the app might have missed a little something in the fine print

"You've granted FaceApp an unlimited license to use your photo, even for commercial purposes," he said.

Digital forensics expert Gavin Manes said, from his research, FaceApp only has access to the photos you upload, and the company claims it deletes most of those pictures after 48 hours.

"Whether that's true or not, it's very difficult to delete data," Manes said. "Just like when you delete a file off your computer, is it really gone?"

Manes said if you create an actual account, the terms and conditions change, and the company may have more access to your phone.             

If FaceApp uses your picture for something you're not okay with, there's not much you can do.

"You wouldn't have any grounds against them, because you've given them consent to use your image, your likeness, and your name for commercial purposes," Rossler said.        

Also Read - Popular FaceApp Causes Privacy Concerns

That's why experts said it's so important to read the fine print, for FaceApp, and anything you download, because you may not know exactly what you're giving up.

"Once something gets out onto the internet, you may own it, it may rightfully be yours, but you've lost control of it, and anybody will use it for what they want," Manes said.