ALERT SUMMARY: A new app called NewProfilePic can generate glamorous illustrations from your uploaded picture that you can use as your social media profile picture but security experts have concerns about how much data the relatively unknown app is collecting especially since it has ties to Russia.
The NewProfilePic is an app that let's you turn your ordinary profile picture into a fabulous illustration with the use of artificial intelligence. The app is very popular because of it's variety of different styles that let's you create an artistic profile picture of yourself want with a variety of different styles. Glamorize your look, reflect your mood and have fun so what is not to like about it?
First, the company, Informe Laboratories, who developed the app was originally located in Russia but has since moved to the British Virgin Islands. Security experts have concerns that the relatively unknown app is invading user privacy through the plethora of permissions that users are required to accept. Yet app owners state that they are only taking data necessary to run the app and process the photos and that in fact the app is similar to what TikTok, FaceApp and Instagram are doing. So what's the problem?
The concern stems from the combination of user data that is collected by a relatively unknown app with ties to Russia. The FBI has already labeled another Russian-based app called FaceApp, a potential counterintelligence threat. The NewProfilePic app states that they "do not take any data aside from what's necessary for running the app and processing photos...” Can it be that this app and Russia are helping themselves to our personal information?
Next Steps - For additional details and Step-By Step Instructions on how to protect and respond to this Alert, follow the link below.
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