# FaceApp > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/FaceApp > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/FaceApp.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FaceApp > Source revision: 1354191285 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/iOS) and [Android](/source/Android_(operating_system)) | screenshot = | screenshot size = | caption = | author = | developer = FaceApp Technology Limited | released = {{Start date and age|2016|12|31}} | ver layout = | operating system = [iOS](/source/iOS), [Android](/source/Android_(operating_system)) | size = | language = | language count = | genre = [Image editing](/source/Image_editing) | programming language = [Python](/source/Python_(programming_language)) | license = [Freemium](/source/Freemium) | alexa = | website = [https://www.faceapp.com/ faceapp.com] }} '''FaceApp''' is a photo and video editing [application](/source/Mobile_application) for [iOS](/source/iOS) and [Android](/source/Android_(operating_system)) developed by FaceApp Technology Limited, a company based in [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus).{{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}} The app generates highly realistic transformations of human faces in photographs by using [neural network](/source/neural_network)s.{{cite web | last = Stark | first = Harold | title = Introducing FaceApp: The Year Of The Weird Selfies | website = [Forbes](/source/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}}{{cite web | last = Vincent | first = James | title = This app uses neural networks to put a smile on anybody's face | website = [The Verge](/source/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}} 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.{{cite web | last = Vincent | first = James | title = Android users can now harness the power of neural networks to alter faces | website = [The Verge](/source/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}}{{cite web | last = Tan | first = Yvette | title = Viral selfie-morphing FaceApp launches on Android after huge iOS success | website = [Mashable](/source/Mashable) | date = 15 February 2017 | accessdate = 13 June 2017 | url = http://mashable.com/2017/02/15/faceapp-launch-android/}} It was developed by Yaroslav Goncharov, a former executive at [Yandex](/source/Yandex), and created by the Russian company Wireless Lab. == 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](/source/LGBT) and [transgender](/source/transgender) communities, due to their ability to realistically simulate the appearance of a person as the opposite gender.{{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](/source/Slate_(magazine))|accessdate=13 June 2017}}{{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](/source/The_Daily_Dot)|accessdate=13 June 2017}} == 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.{{cite web | last = McGoogan | first = Cara | title = FaceApp: Viral selfie app in racism storm over 'hot mode' that lightens skin colour | website = [The Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_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/}}{{cite web | last = Cresci | first = Elena | title = FaceApp apologises for 'racist' filter that lightens users' skintone | website = [The Guardian](/source/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}} Founder Yaroslav Goncharov attributed the issue to training data bias and apologized. In August of that year, more criticism arose when it featured "[ethnicity](/source/ethnicity) filters" depicting "[White](/source/White_people)", "[Black](/source/Black_people)", "[Asian](/source/Asian_people)", and "[Indian](/source/Indian_people)". The filters were immediately removed from the app.{{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}}{{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}} In 2019, FaceApp faced criticism over its handling of [user data](/source/user_data), including concerns that it stored users' photos on its servers and could use them for commercial purposes.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{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}} Founder Yaroslav Goncharov stated that images were processed on cloud servers like [Google Cloud Platform](/source/Google_Cloud_Platform) and [Amazon Web Services](/source/Amazon_Web_Services), not transferred to Russia, and were temporarily stored only to support editing functions before being deleted.{{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}} U.S. Senator [Chuck Schumer](/source/Chuck_Schumer) raised concerns about data privacy and called for an FBI investigation.{{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}}{{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}} ==See also== *[Face of the Future](/source/Face_of_the_Future) *[Deepfake](/source/Deepfake) ==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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [FaceApp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FaceApp) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FaceApp?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.