ISU Cybersecurity expert says ‘New Profile Pic’ app isn’t leaking your personal information to Russians
It's called the 'New Profile Pic' app.You may have seen your friends on social media use it recently to create a cartoon version of themselves.Some have speculated on if the app has malicious origins.Information was circulating online that the app was created in Russia to harvest Americans' sensitive information.An article by Snopes debunked that theory, saying that's not true.However, apps do collect information from us but it's just a matter of how it's used."Most of the apps that we download, especially the ones that are free are harvesting some type of information because nothing is free. Our data is used as a currency in the internet. A lot of the time it's just collecting data about our preferences. Sometimes they'll have ads in these apps, and so you click on the ad and it'll build a little bit of a history about what you're preferences are, that information helps advertisers," said Doug Jacobson, a professor of computer engineering at Iowa State University.Jacobson says it's always best practice to ensure an app you're downloading is legit by doing some research on it and checking reviews.Other headlines:
It's called the 'New Profile Pic' app.
You may have seen your friends on social media use it recently to create a cartoon version of themselves.
Some have speculated on if the app has malicious origins.
Information was circulating online that the app was created in Russia to harvest Americans' sensitive information.
An article by Snopes debunked that theory, saying that's not true.
However, apps do collect information from us but it's just a matter of how it's used.
"Most of the apps that we download, especially the ones that are free are harvesting some type of information because nothing is free. Our data is used as a currency in the internet. A lot of the time it's just collecting data about our preferences. Sometimes they'll have ads in these apps, and so you click on the ad and it'll build a little bit of a history about what you're preferences are, that information helps advertisers," said Doug Jacobson, a professor of computer engineering at Iowa State University.
Jacobson says it's always best practice to ensure an app you're downloading is legit by doing some research on it and checking reviews.
Other headlines:
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