The EU’s privacy watchdog takes aim at Clearview AI’s facial recognition

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) believes use of Clearview AI’s controversial facial recognition system would be illegal.

Clearview AI’s facial recognition system is used by over 2,200 law enforcement agencies around the world and even commercial businesses like Best Buy and Macy’s, according to a recent leak.

The EDPB has now ruled that any use of the service by law enforcement in Europe would “likely not be consistent with the EU data protection...

11 June 2020 | Face Recognition

ACLU sues Clearview AI calling it a ‘nightmare scenario’ for privacy

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing controversial facial recognition provider Clearview AI over privacy concerns.

“Companies like Clearview will end privacy as we know it, and must be stopped,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project.

“The ACLU is taking its fight to defend privacy rights against the growing threat of this unregulated surveillance technology to the courts, even as we...

29 May 2020 | Ethics & Society

Aussie police use Clearview AI’s facial recognition to fight child exploitation

Police in Australia have employed the use of Clearview AI’s controversial facial recognition to tackle child exploitation.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) admitted to using Clearview AI’s system despite not having a legislative framework in place for the technology.

Deputy commissioner Karl Kent said that the AFP trialled the facial recognition system but has not entered any formal arrangements with Clearview AI to procure their technology.

In a...

15 April 2020 | Face Recognition

Clearview AI has been found to have extensive far-right ties

Controversial facial recognition firm Clearview AI has been found to have extensive ties to far-right individuals and movements.

Clearview AI has come under scrutiny for scraping billions of photos from across the internet and storing them in a database for powerful facial recognition services. Privacy activists criticise the practice as the people in those images never gave their consent.

“Common law has never recognised a right to privacy for your face,” Clearview...

8 April 2020 | Ethics & Society

ACLU is suing the US gov for blocking airport facial recognition probe

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing the US government for blocking a probe into the use of facial recognition in airports.

Homeland Security announced in December that it was ditching plans to scan the faces of every person arriving at airports in favour of those who are not US or permanent residents.

Very little information has been given by Homeland Security about what they’re doing with the facial recognition data.

Human rights groups...

13 March 2020 | Face Recognition

Equality watchdog calls for facial recognition to be halted

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has called for the public use of facial recognition to be halted.

Concerns have been raised about facial recognition’s potential to automate racial discrimination and hinder freedom of expression.

The UK, the second most surveilled nation after China, has been at the forefront of testing facial recognition systems in the West. Police in London and South Wales have tested facial recognition in stadiums, arenas, and...

12 March 2020 | Face Recognition

Clearview AI lawyer: ‘Common law has never recognised a right to privacy for your face’

A lawyer for controversial facial recognition startup Clearview AI says your face has no right to privacy in common law.

Clearview’s facial recognition system is used by over 600 law enforcement agencies and a recent leak revealed its client list also includes the likes of Best Buy and Macy’s.

The system has been criticised due to its method of scraping the internet to gather images and storing them in a database. Privacy activists say the people in those images...

6 March 2020 | Face Recognition

Met Police commissioner dismisses critics of facial recognition systems

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The chief commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has dismissed critics of law enforcement using facial recognition systems.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick was speaking at the Royal United Services Institute think tank on Monday. Much of Dick’s speech was spent on making the case for British police to use modern technologies to tackle crime.

https://youtu.be/8lv7qw6X_rs?t=1848

Dick accused critics of police facial recognition technology as being “highly...

25 February 2020 | Face Recognition

Shanghai uses facial recognition to help catch drug offenders

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Facial recognition is being used in Shanghai to help catch individuals suspected of abusing pharmaceuticals.

South China Morning Post reports that Shanghai is testing facial recognition terminals in pharmacies that will verify a person’s identity prior to dispensing controlled substances.

Some legal medications can be turned into banned drugs. Cold and allergy medications, for example, often contain ephedrine which is a key component of crystal meth.

Any...

17 January 2020 | Face Recognition

Intel examines whether AI can recognise faces using thermal imaging

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Researchers from Intel have published a study examining whether AI can recognise people’s faces using thermal imaging.

Thermal imaging is often used to protect privacy because it obscures personally identifying details such as eye colour. In some places, like medical facilities, it’s often compulsory to use images which obscure such details.

AI is opening up many new possibilities so Intel’s researchers set out to determine whether thermal imaging still offers a...

10 January 2020 | Face Recognition