Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2024
Dutch facial-image processing penalty
The Dutch data-protection authority announced a substantial penalty and findings against Clearview over unlawful processing of personal and biometric data, continuing the international regulatory challenge to the company's model.
2022
Illinois biometric-privacy litigation
A class-action settlement under Illinois's Biometric Information Privacy Act addressed Clearview's alleged collection and use of residents' biometric identifiers without the required consent. The agreement imposed access restrictions and established a claims process.
2022
UK data-protection enforcement
The UK regulator determined that Clearview's processing of facial images raised serious violations of UK data-protection law and ordered the company to stop collecting and using UK residents' data and delete it.
2022
Italy fines Clearview AI and orders data deletion
Fine or penalty
Italy’s data protection agency announced a €20 million penalty against Clearview AI, ordered it to delete data on Italians, and banned further processing of citizens’ facial biometrics. The authority said the company processed personal data illegally and violated privacy-related legal requirements.
Company response
Denial — Clearview AI
Clearview AI does not have a place of business in Italy or the EU, it does not have any customers in Italy or the EU, and does not undertake any activities that would otherwise mean it is subject to the GDPR.
Source excerpt
Italy’s data protection agency today announced a €20 million penalty for breaches of EU law — as well as ordering the controversial company to delete any data on Italians it holds and banning it from any further processing of citizens’ facial biometrics.
The findings revealed that the personal data held by the company, including biometric and geolocation data, are processed illegally, without an adequate legal basis, which certainly cannot be the legitimate interest of the American company,
Clearview AI does not have a place of business in Italy or the EU, it does not have any customers in Italy or the EU, and does not undertake any activities that would otherwise mean it is subject to the GDPR.
2021
Canadian privacy findings
Canadian privacy authorities found that Clearview's collection and use of facial images violated federal and provincial privacy rules, and recommended that the company stop collecting images from those jurisdictions and delete existing holdings.
2020
Web-scale scraping and biometric database controversy
Clearview faced intense criticism after reporting detailed its automated collection of facial images from publicly accessible websites and its provision of search access to law-enforcement users. Critics argued that public availability did not amount to consent for biometric identification and that the practice lacked adequate transparency.
2020
Vermont attorney general sues Clearview AI over facial-recognition data practices
Lawsuit filed
Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan filed a complaint accusing Clearview AI of violating Vermont's Consumer Protection Act and Data Broker Law over its collection and use of facial-recognition data. Clearview AI denied violating any laws and said it values privacy.
Company response
Denial — Clearview AI
In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for Clearview AI denied that the company had violated any laws and said it values privacy.
Denial — Clearview
Tor Ekeland, an attorney representing Clearview, shot back in a statement, claiming the company’s facial recognition tool is merely “a search engine that uses only publicly available images accessible on the internet.”
Source excerpt
In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for Clearview AI denied that the company had violated any laws and said it values privacy.
In a complaint filed Tuesday, Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan accuses Clearview AI of violating Vermont's Consumer Protection Act and its Data Broker Law.
Watchdog groups like Privacy International have taken legal action against the company in Austria, France, Greece, Italy and the UK, telling regulators that the practices "are incredibly invasive and dangerous."
2020
Clearview AI discloses another data breach
Issue disclosure
Clearview AI disclosed that it had experienced another data security breach. The article reports that a misconfigured server exposed internal files, apps, source code, and access to its biometric database.
Company response
Remediation — Clearview AI
Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That noted that Clearview was investing in increased security measures
Source excerpt
Consequently, anyone could run Clearview’s application software and access its biometric database, which contains information on more than 3 billion people.
According to TechCrunch Clearview AI had a “misconfigured server” which “exposed the company’s internal files, apps and source code for anyone on the internet to find.”
On April 16, Clearview AI disclosed that it had experienced another data security breach.