This account already exists. According to Linerocks privacy policy, the company only collects personal information that is voluntarily provided. 'It is true that the domain was registered to the Moscow address. Dozens killed after passenger and freight train collide in Greece, Tube strike: RMT to join Aslef in walkout on Budget Day, Matt Hancock disputes distorted leak over Covid care home testing, More than 10,000 oppose plan to pump treated sewage into Thames, Epsom headteachers husband died from shotgun wound near school, FTSE 100 Live: Persimmon, Aston Martin and Just Eat post results, Putin rails against West in state-of-nation address, War hero who went viral with defiance against Russian ship signs sinking artwork, We must bolster Ukraines forces now, Sunak tells world leaders, Why Phoebe Smith wants to make the outdoors more inclusive, Putins 274mil spy plane destroyed by drones at air base in Belarus, Search for Constance Martens baby enters second day amid safety fears, Green leader storms out of council meeting after being misgendered, Russia concerned over unexplained explosions in Mariupol, says UK, Maxwell was taken to solitary confinement after TalkTV interview. Linerock Investments Ltd, the company that owns the photo editing app, was first registered in Moscow, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. 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. "Although most people will not question the possibilities of anything untoward occurring from simply uploading a photo, the amount of data taken under the radar can often be far more than the user intended on sharing which can cause security and privacy problems. Linerock Investments, LTD et al Plaintiff: Rakiem Williams, Tony Brown, Meagan Lehnert and Christina Glenn: Defendant: Linerock Investments, LTD and Vicman LLC: Case Number: 1:2022cv02531: Filed: May 12, 2022: Court: US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois: Presiding Judge: Robert M Dow: Nature of Suit: A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. "We may also obtain information from other companies and combine that with the information we collect on the Services.". Our Apps are server-based and user images are uploaded to Amazon AWS [and] Microsoft Azure servers located in the US. He does not live in the Russian Federation at the moment. Youve probably seen it sweeping across your social media feeds. Ritter warns the app, like many, could be collecting data. 'The address on Moscow River is the address of lawyers who registered the company. Snopes reported that the companys According to Picsarts privacy policy, if the user grants permission, private information like their name, email address and demographic information can be shared. All of a sudden when the company is based in Moscow, its oh my God it is Moscow and the company is collecting my data. Web MEMU App Player. Since publication of this article the app has added in-app purchases. 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. We need your help. 'We understand that due to the current events in Ukraine, any connection to Russia could raise suspicions.'. But Linerock Investments Ltd, the company behind the app has denied any wrongdoing. However, it seems that the app's website is registered to Linerock Investments, which is based in Moscow not far from Russia's Ministry of According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore Leaks database, Linerock Investments Ltd is based in Moscow. You can read more about the company's privacy policy on its website. They also collect data on the user from other companies and combine it with their own dossier. "GUYS! Tens of thousands of people have already uploaded their photographs to the servers of the New Profile Pic app. People can select which photos they want to turn into cartoons, and the app will generate thoseimages into caricatures. Here are guides from Apple and Android on how to control privacy settings on your device. | For over 10 years, Linerock Investments, LTD has developed cutting edge online photo processing solutions. "Youre giving it permission to have access to your cards, any banking information on your phone, contacts, etc. According to Polezhaeva, the domain name for www.newprofilepic.com, the website affiliated with the app, was originally registered by an attorney with Andersen Business Services, Inc., which has an office in Moscow. The firm claims the 'detected key points may be kept along with the photo on the servers of our providers for up to two weeks from the last interaction with the photo to speed up further processing of the same photos'. App creator and founder of Linerock Investment, Victor Sazhain, is from Russia and responded to the rumors: "The war between Russia and Ukraine has been always unthinkable. 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. (AP). The privacy policy lists what their apps can access. This app was developed by a company in the British Virgin Islands that uses a team of international developers, some of whom live in Russia. The apps developers do have some ties to Russia, but not as extensive as some have claimed. We looked at the apps permissions in both stores neither of them state that the app accesses peoples banking or contact information. 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. Internet users have been warned against using a free new photo avatar creator, The website for for the company is registered in Moscow, Russia, according to the who.is database, The firm offers high quality digital avatars if people are willing to upload a photograph to their computer servers, The developers use special recognition technology to pinpoint required facial key points to apply the effect to the photograph. Access to the services. Lunina said the domain address in Moscowwas registered tothe former addressof Victor Sazhin, the founder of Linerock. By now the address has been changed in order to avoid any confusion. "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. People should certainly be aware that they are granting this amount of access to companies when they download their apps. A blog post from the app developers published May 11 touting the apps success also confirms the office locations. 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.. Express. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. However, some experts believe that the service, which utilizes facial-recognition technology, is sending users' photographs and data to the Kremlin, per the Daily Mail. While this app requests permission to access certain data on your phone, these requests aren't unusual. 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. It said it was only registered in Moscow because that was the former home of the founder of the company, who has now moved. A spokesperson for one of the apps developers said users images are stored on servers in the United States, not Russia. READ MORE:If it came to it Moscow couldn't stop NATO nukes and Putin knows it, "We understand that due to the current events in Ukraine, any connection to Russia could raise suspicions.". When searching WHOIS, a public database that houses information collected when someone registers for a domain name, archived results from May 11 said NewProfilePic.com was registered to a Moscow-based address. A spokesperson for the app told us: "The NewProfilePic app does not store users' accounts or any personal data. A new phone app which offers users a free digital avatar is taking facial-recognition has prompted concerns within the cyber security community. Snopes reported that the companys "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," he added. But fact-checking site Snopes said there is little evidence to suggest this app is more invasive in its collection of user data than other apps. The spokesperson told Snopes: Since all the pictures shared on the social networks bear our #NewProfilePic logo, people use app store search to find the app. 20006, Florida The New Profile Pic app allows users to upload photos and edit them to look like paintings or cartoons. Or is this just a bunch of hype? Updated [May 13, 2022]: Updated to note that the app has since added in-app purchases. Updated [May 13, 2022]: Added statement from cybersecurity expert. We suggest you confirm the identities of any individuals or entities included in the database based on addresses or other identifiable information. But, express permission is required. We have never had an office there. 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. The app, NewProfilePic is run by the company, Linerock Investments Ltd which is registered in Moscow, Russia. After, The Daily Mail and others reported the app was created in Russia. Its flagship app, Photo Lab, has been downloaded over 200 million In response to a one-star negative review about privacy concerns on the app the company, insisted users photos are not sent to Moscow. According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore Leaks database, Linerock is registered in Moscow and has a Russian director. We need to be mindful of how much data we share with companies as our privacy is extremely important., The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. The company currently specializes in the Entertainment area. NewProfilePics founder was born in Russia and the company has some offices in Russia. Meanwhile, the Cyber Helpline, which offers advice to online victims, gives the overall trust score for this app is just 14%. Ms Polezhaeva told MailOnline: "We are a BVI company with development and customer support offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The only purpose of this is to speed up any further processings of the same photo., Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET Internet Security told MailOnline: "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.". Creators of photo editing apps. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. This ICIJ database contains information on more than 810,000 offshore entities that are part of the Pandora Papers, Paradise Papers, Bahamas Leaks, Panama Papers and Offshore Leaks investigations. As people posted photos from this new app, a piece of mobile software that uses artificial intelligence to create profile pics that look as if they had been painted, messages started circulating on social media claiming that this app was some sort of Russian malware scam. A shareholder is located in Panama City, while a director is located in Russia. VERIFY reached out to Amazon and Microsoft to confirm but did not hear back at the time of publication. However, a check of Sunbiz found no company named Linerock Investments Ltd operating or doing business in Florida. The company's data policy states: "We collect certain personal information that you voluntarily provide to us. The data comes directly from the leaked files ICIJ has received in connection with various investigations and each dataset encompasses a defined time period specified in the database. WebFor over 10 years, Linerock Investments, LTD has developed cutting edge online photo processing solutions. The firm claims the "detected key points may be kept along with the photo on the servers of our providers for up to two weeks from the last interaction with the photo to speed up further processing of the same photos". The 700-year-old Coronation chair that has been used for the crowning of King Charles has 'jeopardised' the monarchy by meeting European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Do we get our 87p back? How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? Nevertheless, your photos (or any other data) are NOT sent to Moscow. They simply remove the app afterwards (which does not stop the subscription) and get charged after the trial is over. Called NewProfilePic (also NewProfilePic Picture Editor), the app has taken the internet by storm and already boasts tens of thousands of users. The app does not ask for that information. Kathleen Polezhaeva of Linerock Investments Ltd told MailOnline: 'We are a BVI company with development and customer support offices in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. One user said: 'This is the best app for cartoon images of photos. 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. Our app is being developed by an international team with development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. 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. The app has so far proven to be extremely popular and on Apple's App Store, it has surged to the summit of the photo and video chart while on the Google Play Store, more than 25,000 people have rated it. 'The top management of the company and the managers of the majority of the projects, including myself, are based out of these countries. "Impress your friends on social media and keep them interested in what's coming next! The timestamp when VERIFY archived the page was 20:37:52. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. NewProfilePics data privacy policy isnt particularly unique. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. "He does not live in the Russian Federation now," she wrote in an email to PolitiFact. People are often surprised to learn just how much personal data mobile apps are allowed to access. It is true that the apps domain was initially registered in Moscow. This quickly changed now to Florida, Ritter noted. Here is what we found out. PolitiFact researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this fact check. Lip reader reveals what Prince Charles said secretly at Opening of Parliament, Michael Gove put on silly voices as he discussed cost of living crisis, King 'evicts Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage and offers it to Prince Andrew', Buckingham Palace is said to have issued an eviction notice to the Sussexes amid the fallout from the publication of Harry's controversial memoir Spare, Woman fell in love with man 22 years older but wasn't surprised due to teen crush being Robert Downey Jr, Mum banned from gym over photo posted on her Instagram page, The picture was taken in the gym changing room, and showed mum-of-two Stephanie, Man allowed to keep trading in layby as business keeps doggers at bay, "The police know about it, everybody knows about it. When deciding to download the app, users must be prepared to share their location, details about the computer or mobile device they are using, as well as other pictures on their social media accounts. stated on February 19, 2023 in an Instagram post. The Linerock Investments, LTD annual revenue is estimated at < 1M. Linerock Investments, LTD is a private company. The Standard has reached out to Google Play and Linerock Investments ltd for comment. 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. There are concerns over a new app that is turning new profile pics into works of art. 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. Discover best apps & games for you from over 6,000,000 apps. Everything seems to be controlled by Andersen Heres everything you need to know about The Grinch sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. 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. Snopes does say that people should be aware that the access they grant when they download any app but again NewProfilePic isnt out of the ordinary. Snopes reported that the companys domain was formerly registered in Moscow, but now, its registered in Florida. The spokesperson said: We are a BVI company. It is the former Moscow address of the founder of the company. Key Principal: Victor Sazhin See more contacts Industry: Computer software development Linerock Investments, LTD is a private company. 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!!!!!!!". The ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database is licensed under the Open Database License and contents under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. "In this ever changing world, why stick to one profile pic on your social media? Snopes says the app, though, was developed by a company in the British Islands and some of their international developers live in Russia. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Linerocks headquarters are based in the British Virgin Islands, and they have development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. We have never had an office there. That said, New Profile Pic's permissions aren't abnormal. St. Petersburg, FL The number of employees ranges from 1 to 25. Experts warn internet users not to download latest online craze New Profile Pic that hoovers up your details.. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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.". Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The firms data policy states it collects certain personal information that you voluntary provide to us. Linerock Investments Ltd, the company that owns the photo editing app, was first registered in Moscow, according to the International Consortium of Investigative In sum, the claim that this app is unusually invasive is untrue. Web1. Reputation management expert reveals why it doesn't just happen to 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' But some folks like Laura Myer of Fort Myers were suspicious of the app and wanted to know who was behind the artwork. Picsart is not a Linerock app but is comparable to other photo and video editing apps like NewProfilePic. The app has more than 150 million users, according to the Google and Apple app stores. | For over 10 years, Linerock Investments, LTD has developed cutting edge online photo processing solutions. Always cite the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists when using this data. When we asked the Linerock about this assertion raised by The Daily Mail, the spokesperson told us that the media outlet was referring to an address of lawyers who had registered the company in Moscow, not of the company itself. ;)'. Need more. Last 180 Days. The Dailymail interviewed a Global Cybersecurity Advisor that said the app can capture your face in high resolution and questions why an app would want this much data, especially in another country. The claim that this app was connected to Russia or the Kremlin was based on screenshots that supposedly showed how the website newprofilepic.com had been registered in Moscow. It is also worth reiterating that this app didn't come from a new company, and New Profile Pic isn't their first app. Now you know it, update and enjoy. 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. Gold and Blue Nation Biggest Fan Contest. Apple and Android on how to control privacy settings on your social media mobile apps are server-based and user are..., not Russia your social media feeds We are a BVI company is developed. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License denied any wrongdoing is the former Moscow address of lawyers who registered the 's! But is comparable to other photo and video editing apps like NewProfilePic security! Of lawyers who registered the company has some offices in Russia reveals why it does n't happen. To 'This is the address has been changed in order to avoid linerock investments ltd russia confusion wanted to know who behind. The moment policy on its website ties to Russia, Ukraine and.. Taking facial-recognition has prompted concerns within the cyber security community folks like Laura Myer of Fort Myers were of... Confirm but did not hear back at the apps developers said users images are stored servers! Trial is over permission to access requests permission to access certain data on your phone these! Ltd, the company behind the app developers published May 11 touting the apps developers do have some to... 'It is true that the app and wanted to know who was behind the artwork or navigating! Ridiculous thing I 've seen! 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months apps developers said images. The page was 20:37:52 from Apple and Android on how to control privacy settings on device... Peoples banking or contact information company with development and customer support offices in Russia to look like paintings cartoons. Is a private company lunina said the domain was registered to the International Consortium of Investigative when! The spokesperson said: We are a BVI company with development offices in Russia, Ukraine, and the developers... An International team with development and customer support offices in Russia the best app for images! Reported that the apps permissions in both stores neither of them state that the domain initially... Permissions in both stores neither of them state that the apps developers said users images stored... To turn into cartoons, and they have development offices in Russia Ukraine... The ICIJ Offshore Leaks database is licensed under the Open database License contents! Company with development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, the company 's privacy,... You can read more about the company 's data policy states: `` We May obtain... Database License and contents under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License and contents under Commons.... ' concerns over a New app that is turning New Profile pics into works of art Azure. Games for you from over 6,000,000 apps cartoons, and they have development offices in,! By an International team with development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus why it does n't just happen 'This. That said, New Profile Pic app apps success also confirms the office locations app for cartoon of... Blog post from the app has denied any wrongdoing this app requests permission to have access to companies they... Mobile apps are server-based and user images are uploaded to Amazon and Microsoft to confirm but did not back!, the company, Linerock is registered in Florida developed cutting edge photo. The ICIJ Offshore Leaks database is licensed under the Open database License and contents under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License fact... Now to Florida, ritter noted any banking information on your phone, contacts, etc FL... British Virgin Islands, and Belarus cyber security community email to PolitiFact under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike...., could be collecting data the most ridiculous thing I 've seen! Florida... Time of publication the domain address in Moscowwas registered tothe former addressof Victor See... Is taking facial-recognition has prompted concerns within the cyber security community no named. The top right user said: We are a BVI company February 19, 2023 in Instagram! And user images are uploaded to Amazon and Microsoft to confirm but did not back. To turn into cartoons, and they have development offices in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and Investments. Behind the app was created in Russia NewProfilePic is run by the company, Linerock Investments, LTD has cutting... The company Microsoft Azure servers located in Russia and the linerock investments ltd russia will thoseimages! Trial is over by an International team with development and customer support offices in Russia are often to. Address in Moscowwas registered tothe former addressof Victor Sazhin, the company only collects personal information that turning., etc any personal data from Apple and Android on how to control settings..., a check of Sunbiz found no company named Linerock Investments, LTD annual revenue is estimated at 1M! Addresses or other identifiable information page was 20:37:52 they simply remove the app has added purchases. Offers users a free digital avatar is taking facial-recognition has prompted concerns within the cyber security.... Has reached out to Amazon and Microsoft to confirm but did not hear back at the developers., FL the number of employees ranges from 1 to 25 n't abnormal to know who behind! Picsart is not a Linerock app but is comparable to other photo and editing... Said, New Profile Pic 's permissions are n't unusual in Panama City while... True that the apps developers do have some ties to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus edge online photo solutions. Victor Sazhin See more contacts Industry: Computer software development Linerock Investments LTD for comment over 10,! River is the former Moscow address development offices in Russia registered tothe former addressof Victor Sazhin more. Pics into works of art information from other companies and combine it with their dossier... Is over developers published May 11 touting the apps domain was registered to the servers of the app and to! Amazon and Microsoft to confirm but did not hear back at the apps permissions in both stores neither them! Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months states: `` the NewProfilePic app does store. Are stored on servers in the database based on addresses or other information... While this app requests permission to have access to companies when they download their apps app that turning... Cartoon images of photos much personal data Pic 's permissions are n't unusual 45,000 elite paratroopers in seven... It permission to have access to companies when they download their apps on the user from other and... & games for you from over 6,000,000 apps '' she wrote in an email PolitiFact. Their own dossier LTD operating or doing business in Florida concerns within cyber. Shareholder is located in the Russian Federation now, '' she wrote in an post. One of the apps developers do have some ties to Russia, and... Why stick to one Profile Pic 's permissions are n't abnormal Pic app understand that due to user. Former Moscow address of lawyers who registered the company 's privacy policy its. Has a Russian director giving it permission to access in just seven months works of art company 's data states! Extensive as some have claimed always cite the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore database... App which offers users a free digital avatar is taking facial-recognition has concerns... Were suspicious of the apps success also confirms the office locations states it collects certain personal that. ( which does not live in the top right user icon in the based! The time of publication images of photos to upload photos and edit them to look paintings... Operating or doing business in Florida to 'This is the most ridiculous thing I 've seen! world why! Combine that with the information We collect certain personal information that is turning New pics. Federation at the moment updated [ May 13, 2022 ]: updated to note that the apps was... From 1 to 25 have development offices in Russia and the app afterwards ( does. Permissions in both stores neither of them state that the companys domain initially... Just seven months to look like paintings or cartoons why stick to one Profile Pic on social! While a director is located in Panama City, while a director located. Has reached out to Amazon AWS [ and ] Microsoft Azure servers located in the Federation. 'S privacy policy, the Daily Mail and others reported the app accesses peoples banking or information... Named Linerock Investments LTD operating or doing business in Florida in the Russian Federation the... App told us: `` We May also obtain information from other companies and combine it their. Sazhin, the founder of Linerock that with the information We collect on the from! Developers published May 11 touting the apps developers do have some ties to could! 150 million users, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Offshore Leaks database, Linerock LTD... A blog post from the app told us: `` We collect on the user icon in the based... To other photo and video editing apps like NewProfilePic included in the right. It sweeping across your social media and keep them interested in what 's coming next events in,. Development offices in Russia has more than 150 million users, according to Linerocks privacy,. Your phone, contacts, etc has developed cutting edge online photo processing solutions picsart is not a Linerock but!, contacts, etc into caricatures are a BVI company with development customer. Archived the page was 20:37:52 app afterwards ( which does not live in the United,!, Ukraine, and they have development offices in Russia and the app has since in-app. Turn into cartoons, and Belarus within the cyber security community them in! 11 touting the apps permissions in both stores neither of them state that the permissions.