Lawmakers fear FaceApp may help Russians sneak into 2020 presidential election

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — You’ve seen it on social media: those pictures of friends and celebrities transformed to look older or younger.  

It’s called “FaceApp,” and it’s owned by a Russian company.

Lawmakers fear it could be the latest effort by the Russians to hack into our digital world.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the app comes from a Russia-based company and grants them access to all your photos, contacts, and other potentially private information. He’s calling on the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into the app.

In a letter to the FBI and FTC, Schumer says allowing the app access to our personal photos and data could pose “national security and privacy risks for millions of U.S. citizens.”

In addition, Texas Republican Congressman Will Hurd, a former CIA officer, says Americans need to be careful:

“While it is a cute app and it is fun to see how you are going to look 75 years from now, making sure you know how that information is going to be used is important.”

Hurd says Americans need to be on high alert especially as we head into the next presidential election.