On Thursday, BuzzFeed News first reported a legal filing. According to that report, controversial facial recognition provider Clearview AI said that it would no longer sell its application. Specifically, this concerns law-enforcement agencies and private companies. Moreover, regardless of whether the contracts are for law enforcement purposes or not, it will terminate all contracts. This is only in the state of Illinois.
Thus, in an Illinois court, the company filed a document as part of a lawsuit over the violations of the company’s potential of a state privacy law. Moreover, the report lays out Clearview’s decision as a voluntary action. Thus, from now on, the company will avoid transacting with non-governmental customers anywhere. Earlier this year, BuzzFeed reported a list of leaked clients. Therefore, this indicates that thousands of organizations have used Clearview’s technology. The list includes companies like Walmart, Bank of America, and Macy’s.
Clearview’s filing states that the company canceled the accounts of every customer who was not either associated with local, federal, state government departments, agency, or office or law enforcement. Moreover, Clearview canceled all accounts that belonged to any entity based in Illinois. Clearview is arguing that it must not face an injunction. This is because it will prohibit it from using past or current biometric data of Illinois residents. Clearview justifies itself with the reasoning that it is taking those steps to comply with the privacy law of the state.
David Mutnick is the plaintiff in the lawsuit. He sued Clearview in January for violating his and other residents of state’s privacy under the Illinois BIPA (Biometric Information Privacy Act). This is a rare and far-reaching piece of facial recognition-related legislation. This legislation makes it illegal for companies to store and collect sensitive biometric data without consent.
Clearview AI
The law is the same one under which Facebook settled a class-action lawsuit for $500 million this year. This happened because the social network was using facial recognition technology to identify the peoples’ faces in photos uploaded to its social network. Furthermore, this was happening without consent.
Clearview has had at least 105 currencies in Illinois, according to BuzzFeed. It ranged from the Illinois Secretary of State to the Chicago Police Department. BuzzFeed reports that most of those customers are law enforcement.
The Illinois division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and explosives, and the Chicago office both reportedly were using the Clearview’s database in the past. Thus, now it is not clear if they will be prevented from using the platform under the outright ban in Illinois.
Lee Wolosky is the lawyer representing Clearview AI in the case. He told BuzzFeed that Clearview AI continues pursuing its core mission. The primary task is to assist law enforcement agencies around the nation. Thus, the company assists in identifying the victims and perpetrators of a crime. This includes horrific crimes such as child abuse and trafficking. Wolosky also added that it is committed to abiding by all laws applicable to it.
Clearview said that in addition to ending its contracts, it will also take measures for preventing its technology from collecting data from Illinois residents.
Let us see if Clearview will succeed.
