Snapchat reserves the right to insert photos of its users' faces into ads As part of the Terms of Service The company also touted its “My Selfie” tool, which lets people and their friends create artificial intelligence-generated images based on their selfies.
“My Selfie is used to power generative AI, Cameos, and other experiences on Snapchat, including ads,” a pop up in the Snapchat app reads.
“My Selfie uses your images and information to do this.”
Pop up, As reported by 404 MediaGives users the option to “remove my selfie and change advertising or permission preferences for friends.”
A help page on Snapchat's website states that the “My Selfies” feature lets users take selfies with “the Snap camera or select images from your Camera Roll.”
According to the app, “These images will be used to better understand what you look like, so that you, Snap, and your friends can create new images of you.”
To disable the option, users will have to manually turn off the feature, which is activated by default when starting the app.
A Snapchat user claimed on Reddit that they saw their own photo uploaded to Snapchat, and used in an advertisement for a site called yourdreamdegree.com.
“The photo used in the ad is clearly AI, however, it is clearly me,” the Reddit user said.
“It has my face, my hair, the clothes I am wearing and also a part of my lamp and painting on my wall in the background. I don't know how they got my photos to make this ad.”
One more Reddit user reported “I am very surprised to see my face in the Cameos Selfie ad.”
A Snapchat spokesperson told 404 Media that the company “reserves the right to serve advertising based on My Selfies in the future, in which Snapchat users may see themselves in an image sent to them.”
“As noted in the onboarding modal, Snapchatters have full control over this, and they can turn it on or off in the My Selfie settings at any time.”
The company said advertisers “do not have access to Snapchatters' general managers.”[erative] AI data in any capacity, including my selfies.”
Snapchat also said that its users' private data is protected from advertisers.
“Snap does not currently use My Selfie in ads,” a company representative told 404 Media. But the company did not explain how it could serve ads using a user's face in the future without giving away data to advertisers.
The Post has sought comment from Snapchat.
