FindFace app which uses facial recognition to identify strangers on social media takes Russia by storm

FindFace has racked up 500,000 users in only two months

VK is Russia's most popular social network (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A new facial recognition app which allows users to find anyone's social media profile using only a picture of their face has rocketed to success in Russia.

FindFace only launched two months ago, but as The Guardian reports, it's already got 500,000 users, who have made almost 3 million searches.

Users put a picture of anyone's face into the app, and it compares the images to millions of profile pictures on VK, the so-called 'Facebook of Russia' which has around 280 million users.

Although FindFace doesn't always match the image to the correct VK profile, its creators claim it works 70 per cent of the time. To make things easier for the searcher, it provides the profiles of 10 people who look similar, as well as the most likely match.

The genius behind FindFace is the algorithm it uses to match pictures to people. To make a succssful search, the app needs to comb through around 1 billion profile pictures almost instantly, a tall order for a relatively small company.

Alexander Kabakov, FindFace's 29-year-old co-founder, told The Guardian the app could change how we find dates. His description of the app's romantic applications, however, is a little dystopian.

"If you see someone you like, you can photograph them, find their identity, and then send them a friend request," he said.

And if you've got a crush on a famous film star, you can upload an image of them and find 10 doppelgangers instantly.

Budding entrepreneurs looking to emulate FindFace's success in the rest of Europe or the US might have a hard time. Facebook profile pictures are not stored in the same way as they are on VK, making them harder to search through, and EU data regulators have taken a dim view of facial recognition apps in the past, banning certain tools which seem benign in comparison to FindFace.

However, the underlying technology behind the app could reach you one day, even if you're not a member of any Russian social networks.

FindFace's creators are working with Moscow police to integrate their software into the city's CCTV camera network, so authorities will be able to detect wanted suspects as they walk down the street.

Facial recognition is already being used at major events like music festivals to spot criminals in a crowd, so if the technology proves successful, it may spread worldwide.