US warning: Facebook's application poses a "potential threat" as a Russian means of spying

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the application of facial editing and other mobile applications developed in Russia is a "potential threat" as a means of spying.

The comments came in a letter to US Senator Chuck Schumer, who called for an investigation into the implementation.

The application of facial editing has become increasingly widespread earlier this year, raising concerns about privacy.

The FBI's comments come amid growing US fears that products produced by foreign technology companies could pose a security risk.

In a letter to Schumer, the FBI said "it considers any mobile phone application or similar product developed in Russia, such as Facebook, a potential threat that hinders counter-espionage efforts." He also said he would take action if any evidence of foreign political interference was detected through that application, which changes the face of users to make them appear older or younger.

Facebook did not respond to requests for comment.

The application was developed by WirelessLab, based in St. Petersburg. The company said earlier that it does not store images permanently, does not collect huge amounts of data, but only resort to upload specific images chosen by users for editing.

Schumer, the minority leader in the US Senate, called for an investigation into the implementation of Facebook in July because of fears that it could pose "risks to national security and the privacy of millions of US citizens."

The move comes amid a broader scrutiny of foreign technology products in the United States. US lawmakers have recently criticized the application of "Tech Talk," a video-sharing platform owned by the Chinese company "Byte Dance".

The platform, which is believed to have about half a billion active users around the world, has been popular in recent years.

This growing popularity has fueled concern in Western markets because of its ownership of China.

US lawmakers, including Schumer, demand in October that "the National Intelligence Service conduct a national security risk assessment posed by the application of Tech Talk and other Chinese-owned content platforms in the United States."