Viral Chinese Deepfake App Zao Faces Intense Privacy Backlash
A wildly popular Chinese face-swapping app called Zao sparks a major privacy controversy after users discover its aggressive data policies. The app's developers promise to update their terms following immediate public outrage.
A Chinese face-swapping application named Zao quickly becomes one of the country's most downloaded apps after its recent release, but it simultaneously triggers a massive privacy row. Users easily upload a series of selfies to see their animated likenesses convincingly morphed onto famous movie and television characters using deepfake artificial intelligence.
The viral success of the app turns controversial as critics highlight Zao's original privacy policy, which demands "free, irrevocable, permanent, transferable, and relicenseable" rights to all user-generated content. This aggressive stance on owning user data causes immediate outrage among privacy advocates and the general public.
In response to the severe backlash, Zao issues a public statement acknowledging the privacy concerns and pledging to fix the problematic clauses. The incident highlights growing global anxiety surrounding deepfake technology, as experts warn that such realistic manipulations spread misinformation, defame individuals, or even manipulate elections.