Photo cloud app Ever uses photos for facial recognition software training

Free photo storage app Ever uses user images to train facial recognition tools sold to businesses and governments. Also, deleted photos of users remain on the company’s servers.

That reports NBC News. Information about using photos as AI training material only appeared in the app’s privacy policy a month ago, after NBC asked the company questions.

Ever is a free application with tens of millions of users. In the app, they can store an unlimited amount of photos in the cloud for free. It is also possible to turn on facial recognition in the app and see all photos that contain a specific person. However, that function is also used to train ‘Ever AI’, an algorithm that the company develops itself and then sells to commercial companies. The company also plans to sell the technology to governments, but there’s no evidence that has happened yet.

Ever says it uses more than 13 billion photos and videos from “tens of millions of users.” They come from 95 countries. In promotional material for Ever AI, the company writes that the technology can be used to provide cities with, among other things, “fully integrated identity networks.”

In addition, users cannot simply get their photos from Ever. If users delete photos from the app or cancel their account, the photos will remain on the company’s servers. How long that will be the case is unknown. According to Ever, this is done to comply with legal requirements and to resolve disputes.