Kaspersky warns of privacy risks in viral AI selfie trends

Kaspersky has issued a warning regarding viral social media trends that use artificial intelligence to transform user selfies into retro-style portraits, such as 1980s aesthetics or ancient Greek characters. While these trends appear harmless, they pose significant digital privacy risks.

Experts note that users often upload high-resolution, clear facial images to achieve realistic results. These images can contain sufficient data to extract biometric characteristics. Unlike passwords, facial features cannot be changed if the data is compromised. There are concerns that such images may be stored or used to train AI systems without explicit user knowledge regarding data retention or secondary uses.

Furthermore, selfies may inadvertently reveal sensitive background information, including documents, work credentials, uniforms, addresses, vehicle license plates, or the presence of minors, which could be exploited for identity theft, fraud, or impersonation.