Facebook users are being warned over a popular new profile pic trend that is sending your data to Moscow. Users have been updating their profile pictures with a new image created by the app - unaware their information is being sent to a company registered in Russia.
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. But the Mail says the company behind the app, Linerock Investments, is based next to Russia's Ministry of Defence, three miles outside Red Square.
Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET Internet Security told MailOnline : "This app is likely a way of capturing people's 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 app uses facial recognition technology to find key points on an image of your face uploaded to the servers and then renders a new version. According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore Leaks database, Linerock is registered in Moscow and has a Russian director.
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 company's data policy states 'we collect certain personal information that you voluntarily provide to us'.
It adds: "We collect your name, email address, user name, social network information and other information you provide when you register."
The app is number one in photos on the Apple app store and has been rated 25,000 times on Google Play.
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.
They said images are sent to Amazon servers to apply the effects, are not visible to anybody and are deleted after two weeks.
MailOnline approached Apple, Google and Linerock Investments Ltd for a comment.
