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What is Meitu? Chinese selfie app is the latest craze - here’s everything you need to know
A selfie app that’s been used in China for years is rapidly gaining popularity in the West.
Meitu enables users to ‘beautify’ their images, sometimes with unintentionally terrifying results.
While the app is becoming incredibly popular, some critics have raised questions over the amount of data that it collects.
WHAT IS MEITU?
The app is described by its makers as a ‘one touch photoshop for enhancing your beauty’ and has more than 500 million global users.
The main portion of the app enables users to retouch selfies by removing spots and blemishes and making skin smoother.
Here’s Donald Trump in the Meitu app HAPPY NIGHTMARES! pic.twitter.com/eSTyrAgMXt
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) January 18, 2017
Somewhat controversially, it also enables the user to digitally bleach the skin of their face, slim it down and even increase the size of their eyes.
However, it’s the ‘hand-drawn’ option that appears to be proving particularly popular with new users.
This enables people to add anime-style filters to enhance their images and make them appear like hand-drawn characters.
HOW TO GET MEITU
Meitu can be downloaded for iOS from the App Store and for Android on the Google Play store.
The app is free to download and has no in-app purchases.
8 politicians given a glamorous makeover with the Meitu apphttps://t.co/V5IKwdtvLn
Send us more #MeituPoliticians! pic.twitter.com/djQhbc14Rt
— The Poke (@ThePoke) January 20, 2017
You’re goddamn right I Meitu’d the dog pic.twitter.com/GOWE1AZgAY
— Molly (@Molly_Kats) January 19, 2017
Beyoncé is still pretty on meitu ???? pic.twitter.com/XyHRCM3yb5
— M (@AliveAgain42) January 19, 2017
IS MEITU SAFE TO USE?
Security experts have raised concerns that the app could be collecting a worrying amount of personal data from its users.
When the app is installed, it requests permission to access device and app history, as well as photos, the camera and the phone’s location.
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There are fears that the amount of data beamed back to China could enable the makers to track users and to send them tailored advertising.
“Meitu is a throw-together of multiple analytics and marketing/ad tracking packages, with something cute to get people to use it,” said digital forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski.
Most of the permissions appear to be limited to the Android version of the app, though this still raises questions about the iOS version.
