Collusion? NBC Promotes ‘Fun’ FaceApp, Then Realizes It’s Russian – IOTW Report

Collusion? NBC Promotes ‘Fun’ FaceApp, Then Realizes It’s Russian

Newsbusters:

On Wednesday, the hosts of NBC’s Today show were delighted by the latest viral craze sweeping the nation, FaceApp, an app that allows users to upload photos of themselves to see what they would like at different ages or even as a different gender. However, on Thursday, the journalists realized that they just handed over images of themselves to a Russian-backed company behind the suddenly popular app.

“Plus, coming of age. We’ll take a look at the growing old photo craze gone viral. The celebrities taking part, and we join in on the fun,” co-host Savannah Guthrie happily proclaimed at the top of Wednesday’s broadcast. Later in the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, fellow co-host Carson Daly touted the technology: “I mean, everybody seems to be talking about this. There’s a new app, it’s gone viral. Stars are getting in on the action, we’re getting in on the action. Eighty million people are on this app right now. It’s called FaceApp.”

After showing various celebrities using the app to age photos of themselves, the hosts revealed their own elderly images. Guthrie noted: “How does it go viral in one day? It’s so funny. Like one day it’s everywhere.”

Just 24 hours later, the anchor informed viewers that participating in the viral trend may have been a big mistake: “And about ‘face.’ It’s the hottest app on the planet, but what exactly is the Russian company behind it doing with your photos and private information?” Co-host Craig Melvin later worried: “While everyone is having fun seeing their older selves, what is the Russian-based company behind FaceApp actually doing with all of our photos?”

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8 Comments on Collusion? NBC Promotes ‘Fun’ FaceApp, Then Realizes It’s Russian

  1. “…what is the Russian-based company behind FaceApp actually doing with all of our photos?”

    Remember the old saying: if you don’t pay for the product, you are the product.

    14
  2. Many companies are cracking down on your right to protect yourself as well. I’ve been using a VPN/proxy service for quite a while now to mask my identity and make it impossible to track me. Just recently, technology has allowed servers to identify if you’re accessing from a proxy or VPN and they simply deny you access. I’ve canceled Netflix and Amazon and deleted about 20% of my bookmarks and spent hours on phone with financial institutions fighting with them in just the past few months. If they can’t identify you with location and some tracking mechanism they don’t want you connecting at all. I say screw ’em then. Soon I won’t be on the Internet at all at this rate. There are services that mask VPN better, I just haven’t got around to vetting them. Paid-for privacy protection needs to be completely anonymous, even if they say they are I don’t trust them. It takes time to investigate thoroughly. Logs can deduce everything and they never go away.

    My kids throw a fit because most of what they want to connect to gets blocked by my router, they can’t use what everyone else uses. Too bad, it’s for their own good.

    Be careful out there, thar be sharks in the water.

    7
  3. Now, THAT’S journalism! Imagine the HOURS they spent researching this and going deep under cover to vet the company and all who are behind this! Such dedication to their craft!

    Losers.

    7
  4. It was so easy to snooker the media. They’re just fascinated by their own faces.

    “While everyone is having fun seeing their older selves, what is the Russian-based company behind FaceApp actually doing with all of our photos?”

    Well, Melvin, you and Savannah might end up pissing on Trump’s bed in a Moscow hotel. Or servicing Bill Clinton on Pedo Island. The possibilities are endless.

    7
  5. This definitely sounds like the work of Trump. I’ll hook up with some FBI guys I know and one hot little filly (code name “Evergreen Puta” and a personal friend from Little Saint James Island)and get right on it. And I do mean “on it”.

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