Mon, Feb 08, 2021 page1

• Beware Chinese face-swap app: official

  ‘GRAVE THREAT’: As users must verify their e-mail, data collected through Quyan could be used with biometric data to make payments, a national security official said

  • By Chen Yu-fu and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  A national security official yesterday cautioned against using the Chinese face-swapping app Quyan (去演), saying that the data it collects could be used for financial fraud or to create personal files for Chinese law enforcement.

  The app, which has gained popularity among young Taiwanese, uses a photograph uploaded by the user to edit their face onto actors in television dramas, creating “deepfake” videos that make the user look like an actor in the series.

  One user on Nov. 25 last year left a comment on the Apple App Store questioning the safety of using Quyan, saying that after registering, they discovered an unauthorized login using their smartphone’s information in China’s Zhejiang Province.

  To sign up for the app, users must verify their e-mail address and upload a clear photograph of their face without wearing glasses or anything else that could obstruct the camera’s view of the user’s facial features.

  To “protect image rights from fraudulent use,” it then requires the user to confirm that the photo is their own by instructing them to “blink, open your mouth and shake your head” in front of the camera.

  Only after completing these steps does the app become available to use.

  Quyan was developed by Shenzhen Xinguodu Intelligence Co (深圳新國度智能有限公司), also known as Nexgo, which creates hardware and software for processing electronic payments, including biometric services.

  After conducting an investigation of the app, a national security official said it poses a “grave security threat,” especially as it requires facial recognition and e-mail verification to use.

  The firm could sell the data it collects through Quyan for use with payment software, allowing payments to be made through facial recognition, they said.

  By requiring e-mail confirmation, the app is able to obtain other personal information that could be used in conjunction with biometric data to make payments or obtain financial information, they added.

  They also did not rule out that the data are being sent to Chinese law enforcement to create files on users.

  The official advised people interested in using the app to exercise caution, especially if they link accounts to their e-mail, browse Chinese Web sites or express political opinions online.

  The Chinese Communist Party has in the past few years been shifting its focus to young Taiwanese, they said, adding that apps such as Quyan allow the party to easily extract large amounts of data without the users ever stepping foot in China.

  Reached for comment, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) called for a ban on Chinese apps that carry a security risk.

  Public agencies are already banned from using Chinese-made apps, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said.

  However, he also vowed to raise public awareness of the risk of using Chinese apps.

  After the new legislative session begins, the Executive Yuan would send a plan to establish a ministry of digital development to the legislature for review, he said, adding that the planned ministry would merge the disparate agencies that handle cybersecurity, privacy protection and other issues related to digital industries.

  Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
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