Schumer calls on FBI, FTC to investigate FaceApp
{mosads}Schumer is asking the FTC to determine if there are “adequate safeguards” in place to prevent Americans’ privacy from being compromised and, if not, to publicly disclose that.
He separately wants the FBI to find out if data being uploaded to FaceApp by Americans is “finding its way into the hands” of Russia’s government or companies with ties to the government.
“If so, I would urge that steps be immediately taken by the FBI to mitigate the risk presented by the aggregation of this data,” he wrote.
Critics have taken issue with FaceApp’s broad language in its privacy policy.
The policy states, “FaceApp cannot ensure the security of any information you transmit to FaceApp or guarantee that information on the Service may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed.”
The policy also allows FaceApp to share user content with businesses affiliated in the same group of companies.
Schumer argued that language means that a username or real name could be shared without consent or that photos taken with the applications “could be used publicly or privately in the future without the user’s consent.”
Schumer’s letter comes as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is urging 2020 candidates not to use FaceApp over fear of security concerns based on the app’s Russian roots.
He said FaceApp does not sell or share any user data with any third parties.
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