The FBI says the photo-editing app that went viral this summer is a 'significant counterintelligence threat' because of its ties to Russia

FaceApp

• FaceApp, the viral photo-editing app that can make you look old or swap your gender using artificial intelligence, has come under close scrutiny because of its data security and Russian origins. 
• Back in July, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote a letter to the FBI and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to express his concerns over the national security risk posed by the popular FaceApp app that has proliferated across social media channels.
• The FBI responded to Schumer in a letter dated November 25th, informing him that FaceApp, along with any other mobile app developed in Russia, was a potential counterintelligence threat. Schumer tweeted a copy of that letter Monday. 
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The FBI says that it considers "any mobile application or similar product developed in Russia, such as FaceApp, to be a significant counterintelligence threat." 

The popular photo-editing platform FaceApp debuted in 2017, but it exploded in popularity this summer as social media influencers flooded feeds with selfies that used the app's filters to alter their age or gender— usually to hilarious effect. It was even briefly the most popular free app in both the Apple Store and Google Play. 

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