{{Short description|Photo manipulation application}} {{Infobox software | name = FaceApp | logo = FaceApp logo.jpg | logo size = 125px | collapsible = yes | logo caption = App icon seen on iOS and Android | screenshot = | screenshot size = | caption = | author = | developer = FaceApp Technology Limited | released = {{Start date and age|2016|12|31}} | ver layout = | operating system = iOS, Android | size = | language = | language count = | genre = Image editing | programming language = Python | license = Freemium | alexa = | website = [https://www.faceapp.com/ faceapp.com] }}
'''FaceApp''' is a photo and video editing application for iOS and Android developed by FaceApp Technology Limited, a company based in Cyprus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-28 |title=FaceApp: About us |url=https://www.faceapp.com/about/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=FaceApp.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The app generates highly realistic transformations of human faces in photographs by using neural networks.<ref name="Forbes2017">{{cite web | last = Stark | first = Harold | title = Introducing FaceApp: The Year Of The Weird Selfies | website = Forbes | date = 25 April 2017 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/haroldstark/2017/04/25/introducing-faceapp-the-year-of-the-weird-selfies/#489efb9543d2}}</ref><ref name="TheVerge2017a">{{cite web | last = Vincent | first = James | title = This app uses neural networks to put a smile on anybody's face | website = The Verge | date = 27 May 2019 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/1/27/14412814/faceapp-neural-networks-ai-smile-image-manipulation}}</ref> The app can transform a face to make it smile, look younger, look older, or change gender.
==History== FaceApp was launched on iOS in January 2017 and on Android in February 2017.<ref name="TheVerge2017b">{{cite web | last = Vincent | first = James | title = Android users can now harness the power of neural networks to alter faces | website = The Verge | date = 15 February 2017 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/15/14621902/face-altering-app-faceapp-neural-network-android}}</ref><ref name="Mashable2017">{{cite web | last = Tan | first = Yvette | title = Viral selfie-morphing FaceApp launches on Android after huge iOS success | website = Mashable | date = 15 February 2017 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = http://mashable.com/2017/02/15/faceapp-launch-android/}}</ref> It was developed by Yaroslav Goncharov, a former executive at Yandex, and created by the Russian company Wireless Lab.<ref name="Forbes2017" />
== Features == There are multiple options to manipulate the photo uploaded such as editor options of adding an impression, make-up, smiles, hair colors, hairstyles, glasses, age or beards. Filters, lens blur and backgrounds along with overlays, tattoos, and vignettes are also a part of the app.
The gender change transformations of FaceApp have attracted particular interest from the LGBT and transgender communities, due to their ability to realistically simulate the appearance of a person as the opposite gender.<ref name="Slate2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2017/05/05/faceapp_s_gender_filter_offers_possibility_for_trans_and_gender_curious.html|title=The Magnetic and Emotionally Complex Power of FaceApp's Gender Filter|last=Cracker|first=Miz|date=5 May 2017|website=Slate|accessdate=13 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="DailyDot2017">{{cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/irl/faceapp-transgender/|title=FaceApp's gender swap is playing mind games with trans users|last=Manning|first=Allee|date=1 May 2017|website=The Daily Dot|accessdate=13 June 2017}}</ref>
== Criticism == In 2017, FaceApp faced criticism for a "hot" filter that appeared to lighten users' skin tones, prompting accusations of racial bias. The feature was briefly renamed "spark" before being removed.<ref name="TheTelegraph2017">{{cite web | last = McGoogan | first = Cara | title = FaceApp: Viral selfie app in racism storm over 'hot mode' that lightens skin colour | website = The Telegraph | date = 25 April 2017 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/04/25/faceapp-viral-selfie-app-racism-storm-hot-mode-lightens-skin/}}</ref><ref name="TheGuardian2017">{{cite web | last = Cresci | first = Elena | title = FaceApp apologises for 'racist' filter that lightens users' skintone | website = The Guardian | date = 25 April 2017 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/25/faceapp-apologises-for-racist-filter-which-lightens-users-skintone}}</ref> Founder Yaroslav Goncharov attributed the issue to training data bias and apologized.<ref name="TheTelegraph2017" /><ref name="TheGuardian2017" /> In August of that year, more criticism arose when it featured "ethnicity filters" depicting "White", "Black", "Asian", and "Indian". The filters were immediately removed from the app.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wattles|first1=Jackie|title=FaceApp removing 'ethnicity filters' after outrage|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/08/09/technology/faceapp-ethnicity-filter/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810033612/http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/09/technology/faceapp-ethnicity-filter/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 10, 2017|accessdate=August 10, 2017|work=CNNMoney|date=August 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=FaceApp sparks racist backlash for 'black', 'white' and 'Asian' filters|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/08/09/faceapp-sparks-racist-backlash-black-white-asian-filters/|accessdate=August 10, 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=August 9, 2017}}</ref>
In 2019, FaceApp faced criticism over its handling of user data, including concerns that it stored users' photos on its servers and could use them for commercial purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/16/ai-photo-editor-faceapp-goes-viral-again-on-ios-raises-questions-about-photo-library-access-and-clo/ |title=AI photo editor FaceApp goes viral again on iOS, raises questions about photo library access |website=TechCrunch |date=17 July 2019 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-07-17 |archive-date=2020-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616011838/https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/16/ai-photo-editor-faceapp-goes-viral-again-on-ios-raises-questions-about-photo-library-access-and-clo/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/faceapp-app-download-challenge-privacy-warnings-old-filter-a9008306.html |title=The worrying thing that happens when you use the viral face aging app |date=2019-07-17 |website=The Independent |language=en |access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/what-s-fact-and-what-s-fiction-when-it-comes-to-faceapp-20190717-p5284v.html|title=What's fact and what's fiction when it comes to FaceApp?|last=Biggs|first=Tim|date=2019-07-17|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/17/20697771/faceapp-privacy-concerns-ios-android-old-age-filter-russia|title=FaceApp is back and so are privacy concerns|last=Carman|first=Ashley|date=2019-07-17|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2020-02-08}}</ref> Founder Yaroslav Goncharov stated that images were processed on cloud servers like Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services, not transferred to Russia, and were temporarily stored only to support editing functions before being deleted.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/17/faceapp-responds-to-privacy-concerns/|title=FaceApp responds to privacy concerns|website=TechCrunch|date=17 July 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-17|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616011837/https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/17/faceapp-responds-to-privacy-concerns/|url-status=live}}</ref> U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer raised concerns about data privacy and called for an FBI investigation.<ref>{{cite news |title=US senator asks FBI to investigate FaceApp |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49027155 |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=18 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2019/07/17/viral-app-faceapp-now-owns-access-to-more-than-150-million-peoples-faces-and-names/|title=Viral App FaceApp Now Owns Access To More Than 150 Million People's Faces And Names|last=Koetsier|first=John|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-07-18}}</ref>
==See also==
==References== {{Reflist|40em}}
==External links== * [https://www.faceapp.com/ Official website]
Category:Android (operating system) software Category:2017 software Category:IOS software Category:Photo software Category:Social media Category:Deep learning software applications Category:Deepfakes