iPhone X uses the innovative Face ID technology, which creates a 3D model of the owner's face, thanks to which the smartphone “recognizes” the user in a split second. The potential for identity theft worries many, but Apple reports that Face ID data is stored only on the device itself and is not transmitted to servers in Cupertino. Recently, however, there have been reports that developers will actually be able to access this data.
This is reported by many sources – including Reuters. So does Apple actually transfer data from Face ID to third-party developers? The short answer is no, but the details are important here.
The 3D model that Face ID creates consists of more than 30,000 points. This data is stored exclusively in the smartphone and is not transmitted to third-party servers. The developers also have no access to them. However, developers have the right to request access to the front camera (without getting the 3D model directly). This is to improve the performance of apps that use augmented reality, allowing, for example, Snapchat to create more realistic filters.
Obviously, this is different from Face ID, so the scans of your face won't go to the developers. So, in essence, you are not giving access to your smartphone, but you can still transfer high-resolution pictures of your face thanks to the TrueDepth camera. Can this be used against the user? So far there have been no precedents, but in general this is not ruled out. As for Face ID, using this technology seems safe at the moment.