Russia’s FaceApp Is a “Counterintelligence Threat”
Lawmakers are increasingly wary of seemingly innocuous, foreign-made consumer apps.
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Any mobile app developed in Russia is being considered “a potential counterintelligence threat,” according to a letter sent by the FBI to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The FBI considers any mobile application or similar product developed in Russia, such as FaceApp, to be a potential counterintelligence threat, based on the data the product collects … And the legal mechanisms available to the Government of Russia that permits access to data within Russia’s borders,” the letter read.
FaceApp, the viral app that allows users to alter their appearance in photos, has come under fire for its privacy policy and Russian roots—and become a target for U.S. lawmakers amid concerns about how foreign governments can use tech to influence elections.
Schumer has focused hard on potential security concerns over foreign-made apps heavily used by U.S. consumers. The Democrat has also dubbed popular video app TikTok a “potential counterintelligence threat.” TikTok is owned by what is considered the world’s most valuable startup, China’s ByteDance.
Still, while these national and personal security concerns are happening, they beg the question: What percent of Americans actually know—or care about—where their apps are developed? Two or three years ago, this was hardly a topic of conversation. A quick scan of the TikTok app at press time via the Apple App Store shows no mention of ByteDance or China.
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In case you missed it: Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey plans to live in Africa for three to six months next year, according to a tweet. Dorsey already spent much of November on the continent, chatting with entrepreneurs and discussing crypto in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
Setting aside the governance issues that come with the CEO of a public social-media company moving away for so long, and in an election year no less, tech’s focus on Africa makes sense on the surface. The continent has become a hotbed of fintech activity, with heavy investment especially from Chinese entrepreneurs.
In late November, for instance, Lagos-based payments startup OPay raised $120 million in a Series B round from investors including China’s Meituan Dianping.
China leapt ahead in terms of going digital because it didn’t have sticky legacy infrastructure. Now it’s developed its own fascinating suite of fintech tools like WeChat, which has become a one-stop-shop of sorts for consumers to chat, pay for groceries, pay each other, and even pay for income tax. “If you want to see the future of fintech, just go to China,” Edith Yeung, managing partner of Proof of Capital, a blockchain-focused investment firm, told Fortune.
Africa is building up from a similar clean slate. It’ll be interesting to see how the fintech rails develop throughout the continent.