A new phone app that provides customers with a free digital avatar takes high-quality facial-recognition photos.
Thousands of individuals have already uploaded their photos to the New Profile Pic app's servers in exchange for the free avatar. Many people are unaware that Linerock Investments, the firm behind the app, is headquartered in an apartment building overlooking the Moscow River, next to Russia's Ministry of Defense and barely three miles from Red Square.
Warnings Issued Over New Profile Pic App
People must be extremely cautious when submitting images or personal data to a fresh new website, according to Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET Internet Security. According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore Leaks database, Linerock Investments Ltd is based in Moscow. A shareholder is located in Panama City, while a director is located in Russia.
FaceApp, a St. Petersburg-based firm, launched in 2017 and allowed customers to upload an image to be aged using Artificial Intelligence. Security experts issued warnings after a viral challenge about the quantity of data the app was transmitting to Russia.
Users who agree to download the app post their location, device information, and other images on their social network feed. According to the spokesperson, they do not disclose any user data in ways that are not specified in their Privacy Policy. They claim that the photographs are routed to their Amazon servers for processing and that no one can see them. According to them, the photographs are destroyed after two weeks, Daily Mail reported.
The software has been downloaded over 1 million times and reviewed by over 30,000 people, according to the Google Play Store. On the App Store, it is the most popular free app. However, the fact-checking website 'Snopes' claims that there is little evidence that this software is any more intrusive in its data collecting than other applications.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists offshore leaks database shows that Linerock Investments Ltd has an address in Moscow and is also linked to the British Virgin Islands, as per Independent. Some analysts suspect, however, that the program, which uses face recognition technology, is transferring photos and data to the Kremlin.
How To Protect Yourself?
Although there is no proof that New Profile Pic is a scam at this time, you should always do due diligence before using new apps. Experts' suspicions of a Russian-based hack or fraud are also being shared on Twitter, with one user labeling the New Profile Pic app a phishing scam.
"The NewProfilePic app in Russian controlled and likely to contain malware," a second Twitter user said. Meanwhile, Cyber HelpLine, which offers professional guidance to victims of cybercrime and online security concerns in the United Kingdom, revealed that the website's overall trust score is only 14%.
Although there is no proof that New Profile Pic is a scam at this time, you should always do due diligence before using new apps. Before downloading a service, check the privacy policy to see whether you consent to reveal personal information without realizing it. You should also use a strong password, biometric features, or two-factor authentication to safeguard your device, according to The Sun.
