New Trend of Cartoonizing Photos Raises Privacy Concerns: How to Protect Yourself

A new trend is sweeping social media platforms, leveraging artificial intelligence to convert personal photos into humorous cartoons. However, behind the amusement lies a serious threat to privacy and cybersecurity.

Experts warn that these applications do more than just alter facial features; they analyze images with high precision to extract information about age, expressions, clothing, and even aspects of the user's profession and lifestyle, potentially indicating their social class.

The process utilizes computer vision models, deep learning, and multimedia models that link images with text and user behavior.

Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, head of the artificial intelligence and cybersecurity unit at the Arab Center for Research and Studies, cautioned in exclusive remarks:

"Despite the humor, this trend conceals real technical and security risks. Images are not immediately deleted after processing; they are temporarily stored or used to train AI models, or shared with third parties under vague policies."

* Identity Theft and Biometric Data Risks

Dr. Ramadan highlighted that the biometric data extracted from these images could be used for identity theft and become part of a vast database to enhance facial recognition, which may persist even after a user deletes their account or the application.

Linking images to digital accounts increases the risk of revealing identity and digital behavior.

General Abu Bakr Abdel Karim, a former assistant to the Egyptian Minister of Interior, stated:

"Privacy has become threatened, and any digital database is at risk of being hacked. The issue lies not in artificial intelligence itself, but in its careless use."

* Additional Risks:

• High-resolution images enhance opportunities for data exploitation.

• Images can be reused for fraud, extortion, or counterfeiting.

• Predictive classifications of jobs and lifestyles may be inaccurate or biased and are conducted without user consent.

* Expert Recommendations:

_ Carefully read privacy policies before using any application.

_ Avoid linking applications to primary social media accounts.

_ Do not upload high-resolution images and consider the significant risks before sharing temporary fun.

Ultimately, a quick laugh could cost you more than just time... it may cost you your privacy and biometric footprint!