RuReal, a new Detroit-based app, is able to determine the authenticity and origin of an image if it’s been used elsewhere or has been altered.
“It can help its users in a number of ways,” says Simon Gojcaj, president of U.S. Publications Inc., the creator of the app. “It deters bullies and cyberstalkers and can detect if a product is a fake or not.”
Gojcaj says the app scans 14 billion images on the Internet — with more being added daily — to determine if a certain image has been used elsewhere or changed.
For example, Gojcaj tested the app on a photo of a 2004 Mercedes Benz that was posted on Craigslist. It looked like it was in excellent condition but the price was unreal. It turns out the car was unreal too as RuReal immediately recognized it as a fake. The image had been cropped and altered, and was determined to have originated from another site.
He says customers can save the image on the mobile device and then open the app and search for the saved images. He says the results are immediate. Gojcaj says the app also can be used to determine if a dating profile image is real or determine the authenticity of a product being sold online.
RuReal is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, and the first 20 searches are free. The app costs $2 to download on both iTunes and GooglePlay.
