MailOnline approached Apple, Google and Linerock Investments Ltd for a comment. Video shows President Joe Biden recalling an alien encounter. Linerock Investments Ltd, the company that owns the photo editing app, was first registered in Moscow, according to the International Consortium of Investigative The app developers explain: "Whenever you choose an effect that involves face manipulations we use special face recognition technologies to detect a photo; find required facial key points, and apply the effect to your photo.". Its flagship app, Photo Lab, has been downloaded over 200 million NewProfilePics data privacy policy isnt particularly unique. A spokesperson for the company explained it was the former address of the founder, who has both Russian and Ukrainian heritage. The Daily Mail reported that this app was developed by a company "overlooking the Moscow River three miles from Red Square," insinuating a connection between this app and the Kremlin. WebLinerock Investments, LTD | 139 followers on LinkedIn. Magic Johnson tested positive for HIV "because Faucis gain of function study used a contaminated Hepatitis B vaccine. By agreeing to download the app, users are willing to share their location, details about the device they are using as well as other photographs on their social media feeds. According to the The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to turn your profile picture into artwork, but it is raising concern among cybersecurity experts over its Russian links. Google Play App Store / Linerock Investments ltd, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. The app, NewProfilePic is run by the company, Linerock Investments Ltd which is registered in Moscow, Russia. A spokesperson for the app told Dailymail that they do not share user information. She and others have seen the pictures filling up their Facebook feeds. Let it be different, always new and made by AI! A second Twitter user echoed the sentiment, saying "NewProfilePic app is Russian owned and likely to contain ransomware.". The new fad is getting a lot of attention but the new app reportedly is sending your information to Russia. If you are going to download these types of apps to have fun on social media platforms whether its Facebook or othersmaybe not use your true cell phone, he said. Developers Origins. The spokesperson said: We are a BVI company. Web1. In early May, NewProfilePic, an application that uses artificial intelligence technologies to stylize your social media profile picture, shot to the top of the charts on Google Play and the Apple App Store. 20006, Florida They said: We are a BVI company with development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. He MUST seize it, starting with the Budget, writes ANDREW NEIL. Our app is being developed by an international team with development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It asks for access to the users camera, photos and media. And it should be again. In each of these examples, including NewProfilePic, the privacy policies state information could be collected from other third-party, or outside and unaffiliated, applications and shared with those third-party applications. It has been downloaded more than a million times and has almost 50,000 reviews on the Google Play Store. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. After, The Daily Mail and others reported the app was created in Russia. In the United States' Apple App Store, the app is called NewProfilePic Picture Editor and was developed by Informe Laboratories, Inc. the same developing group that released ToonMe. Again, we cant help remembering the lookalike Bangladesh story. They said images are sent to Amazon servers to apply the effects, are not visible to anybody and are deleted after two weeks. Key Principal: Victor Sazhin See more contacts Industry: Computer software development WebLinerock Investments Ltd. We collect your name, email address, user name, social network information and other information you provide when you register.. One person shared a screenshot of the requested app permissions and wrote: "DO NOT download the NEW PROFILE PIC.COM APP it takes all your information and sends it to Moscow!!!!!!!". See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. The Transportation Security Administration spent a couple hundred million dollars on gender-neutral screening technology. This is necessary to apply all those fancy effects driven by AI technologies., App developers, describing how the technology works, said: Whenever you choose an effect that involves face manipulations we use special face recognition technologies to detect a photo; find required facial key points, and apply the effect to your photo., They added: The detected key points may be kept along with the photo on our servers for up to two weeks from the last interaction with the photo. Updated [May 13, 2022]: Added statement from cybersecurity expert. "We collect your name, email address, user name, social network information and other information you provide when you register, set up an account, contact us by email or use our services," Linerock Investment Ltd. states. It's possible, the spokesperson suggested, that users may have accidentally used one of these look-a-like apps, and that that service might have charged them. Facebooks privacy policy is similar. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. When VERIFY searched WHOIS later on May 11, the registered address for NewProfilePic.com was changed to Florida. Others claimed it was based in Russia and connected to the Kremlin. Snopes suggests that theres little evidence that this new app is more harmful than other apps that collect any data and suggests that its permissions are similar to apps such as TikTok and Instagram. Last 30 Days. Rishi Sunak looked like he had won the lottery. When claims started circulating that the New Profile Pic app was some sort of scam, many people shared screenshots of the app's privacy policy. Registered in: Not identified. Kathleen Polezhaeva from the company said it is based in the British Virgin Islands and has development and customer support offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, LINEROCK INVESTMENTS may offer to provide the Services, as described more fully on the Site and in Mobile, which are selected by you, solely for your own use, and not for the use or benefit of any third party. Contrary to the claim, it doesnt include banking information or contacts. The App offers 'the latest AI technology' and a 'constantly updated collection of amazing styles'. In a word, no. stated on February 19, 2023 in an Instagram post. But according to a rising number of claims, the NewProfilePic app is bad news. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.). WebOverview. Ukraine LIVE: Putin humiliated as satellite pics show tanks wiped out, US warns UK of '9/11-style' attack on critical infrastructure by Putin, Russia news: A cyber security expert has warned users over the New Profile Pic app, Satellite images reveal Russia building new bridges towards West, Russia threat: PM has letters of last resort ready to go, Russia news: 'The NewProfilePic app lets you change your user image as often as you want', Russia news: the New Profile Pic app is proving to be extremely popular with users, If it came to it Moscow couldn't stop NATO nukes and Putin knows it, Kyiv stands tall after Putin bombardment with two-thirds returning, Ukraine ambassador blasts Austria protesters removed from Russia rally, Exactly how the UK would react if Russia attacks a NATO ally, Putin has 'written off' key areas as Kremlin 'desperation' grows, Ukrainian troops have lucky escape as missile strikes metres away, Putins fury as Russia does NOT have weapons that can wipe out UK. This includes the users name, email address, social network information, IP address, browser type and the device data from a mobile phone or settings from a computer. Everything seems to be controlled by Andersen Business Services which is still registered in Russia, Ritter said. The UKs Daily Mail posted an article today alleging that NewProfilePic is likely to hoover up your data and send it to Moscow all because the app has been developed by a tech company based in Moscow. The timestamp when VERIFY archived the page was 20:37:52. If you connect your Facebook, Apple ID, or other third-party accounts to one of our apps, we use information from those accounts (like your username or profile picture). Trump tweeted about his return to Twitter on Nov. 19. 'All user photos are hosted and processed on the Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure servers, which are located outside the Russian Federation. Overall, we estimate that Linerock Investments LTDs apps have collected about 300 million installs, 6 million of them in the last 30 days. Our iOS team is mostly Russian. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. VERIFY reached out to the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission but did not hear back at the time of publication. A spokesperson for the app told us: "The NewProfilePic app does not store users' accounts or any personal data. Facebook users are being warned over a popular new profile pic trend that is sending your data to Moscow. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. But Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET Internet Security told MailOnline that people have to be incredibly careful when uploading photographs or personal data to a brand new website. A cyber security expert has urged caution over giving the app access to your images and data, Keep up to date with the latest stories with our WalesOnline newsletter. The best seat in the house! The current app portfolio contains 14 apps. According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore Leaks database, Linerock Investments Ltd is based in Moscow. ', The company behind the app is Linerock Investments Limited, Users have praised its ease of use and quality of the avatars, Some have decided against uploading their own photographs and instead used an image of Roger Moore playing secret agent Simon Templar, On Apple's App Store, the App is number one in the photo and video chart, while more than 25,000 have rated it on the Google Play Store, This user claims 'he should've never have been given access to this app', The app can transform an ordinary photograph into a digital avatar in a matter of seconds, This user praised the rejuvenating quality of the app which was able to remove some wrinkles, One security expert warned: 'This app is likely a way of capturing peoples faces in high resolution and I would question any app wanting this amount of data, especially one which is largely unheard of and based in another country'. The company explained that they use Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure, two servers located in the U.S., and that no user images or data are sent to Moscow: However, theres a flip side to the apps popularity. The firms data policy states it collects certain personal information that you voluntary provide to us. From the privacy policy: For example, we collect your name, email address, user name, social network information and other information you provide when you register, set up an account, contact us by e-mail or use our services.. NewProfilePics founder was born in Russia and the company has some offices in Russia. WebPhoto Lab boasts one of the vastest collections of stylish and funny photo effects: more than 900 effects to date! Rishi Sunak warns MPs they can't trust 'Mr 2nd Referendum' Keir Starmer on Brexit in meeting with backbench DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Rishi Sunak's vaunted Brexit deal could be a landmark achievement, Rishi's deal gives Brexit a second chance. To connect with Linerock Investments, LTD employee register on SignalHire. The app, NewProfilePic is run by the company, Linerock Investments Ltd which is registered in Moscow, Russia. Black Americans are not descended from people who were taken from Africa to be enslaved. According to Snopes data gathering, the website was actually showing its registration in Florida. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Learn More . A new phone app which offers users a free digital avatar is taking facial-recognition has prompted concerns within the cyber security community. The app then asks for permission to access photos and media on the device. Since publication of this article the app has added in-app purchases. Meanwhile, the Cyber HelpLine, which describes itself as "expert advice for victims of cybercrime and online security issues in the UK" shared that the website's overall trust score is just 14 percent. 33701 Linerock Investments, LTD is a private company. Now you know it, update and enjoy. Some social media users claimed the app was stealing data in a criminal fashion. Need more. Some information may have changed over time. The app is called New Profile Pic. It works by snapping a picture of yourself and in seconds, it looks like a work of art on canvas, but the bigger concern is the artist behind the painting. A spokesperson for the App told MailOnline: "We are a BVI company with development offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus," and said they do not share any user information in a way that is not listed in their privacy policy. In this ever changing world, why stick to one profile pic on your social media? Also I would love to see Animation like Ai Face Animator.'. Gold and Blue Nation Biggest Fan Contest. By now the address has been changed in order to avoid any confusion. When we looked up this domain on May 11, our results showed that this website was registered in Florida. Hundreds of thousands of people have uploaded high-quality pictures of their faces to the New Profile Pic app in order to get a modified profile picture to use on social media. "We understand that due to the current events in Ukraine, any connection to Russia could raise suspicions," Lunina said. The app can be downloaded to your device, and allows the sending of data including your location and access to other social media images on your feeds. The data police states we collect certain personal information that you voluntarily provide to us. View our online Press Pack. WebLinerock Investments, LTD | 91 followers on LinkedIn. The comments below have not been moderated. When we compared the contents of this screenshot to that of other top apps, such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram, we found that requesting users' permission to "receive data from internet" and "have full network access" isn't unusual. By now the address has been changed in order to avoid any confusion. | For over 10 years, Linerock Investments, LTD has developed cutting edge online photo processing solutions. People should certainly be aware that they are granting this amount of access to companies when they download their apps. Creators of photo editing apps. That post, along with others, quickly spread on social media, and the Daily Mail also reported on the claim. However, it seems that the app's website is registered to Linerock Investments, which is based in Moscow not far fromRussia's Ministry of Defence, the Daily Mail said. A person can also change the settings on their Android or Apple phones and choose what the app is or isnt allowed to track. WebBest 31 Apps by "Linerock Investments LTD", such as Photo Lab Picture Editor & Art , Visage Lab face retouch , ToonMe - cartoons from photos , Christmas Photo Frames, Effects & Cards Art and Photo Collada collage maker . New Profile Pic was created by a mobile development group called Informe Laboratories, Inc., and copyrighted by Linerock Investments LTD, according to the listings in Google's and Apple's app stores. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. PolitiFact researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this fact check. According to the app store pages for NewProfilePic, the address associated with the app is a business center located in Tortolas business district. Case Details Parties Documents Dockets. We are a BVI company with development offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is the former Moscow address of the founder of the company. Everything seems to be controlled by Andersen Says Hitler said Black people are the true Hebrews.. If you will check the search results you will see other apps with pretty similar titles. The NewProfilePic app does not access users banking information or contact lists, and it does not send their information to Russia. (AP). "Youre giving it permission to have access to your cards, any banking information on your phone, contacts, etc. Always cite the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists when using this data. 'The NewProfilePic app lets you change your user image style as often as you want. People can select which photos they want to turn into cartoons, and the app will generate thoseimages into caricatures. District of Columbia Is New Profile Pic App a Russian Malware Scam? 'The top management of the company and the managers of the majority of the projects, including myself, are based out of these countries. The app is number one in photos on the Apple app store and has been rated 25,000 times on Google Play. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Internet users are being warned about the New Profile Pic app as it may be stealing their personal info, one expert has claimed, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). "We collect your name, email address, user name, social network information and other information you provide when you register.". Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, shared a screenshot of the requested app permissions. Moore told VERIFY: People have formed trust over many years with the likes of Facebook and Instagram but when a new app goes viral, it is advised to minimize the amount of data shared where possible and reduce the number of permissions granted. A spokesperson for one of the apps developers said users images are stored on servers in the United States, not Russia. We have never had an office there. It is true that the domain was registered to the Moscow address. Read more, The Offshore Leaks data is current through 2010, The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Andersen Business Services, Inc. Frunzenskaya Nab., 40 Moscow, 119270 Russia. With the Budget, writes ANDREW NEIL one of the apps developers said users images are sent to servers! Seems to be controlled by Andersen Says Hitler said black people are the true Hebrews the address. Ltd for a comment technology ' and a 'constantly updated collection of amazing styles ' requested app permissions your to... Told Dailymail that they do not share user information linerock investments ltd russia, it doesnt include banking or... B vaccine the domain was registered to the Moscow address of the vastest collections stylish. 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