Clearview AI Facial Recognition Company Breached Privacy Law: French Watchdog CNIL

CNIL said Clearview failed to ask for the prior consent of those whose images it collected online.

By Reuters | Updated: 16 December 2021 17:45 IST

Clearview AI Facial Recognition Company Breached Privacy Law: French Watchdog CNIL

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Harry Cunningham

Clearview collects publicly-available facial images on social media, used by law enforcement

Highlights

Clearview's collection of facial images breached EU privacy rules
EU law allows citizens to request companies to remove personal data
Australia's also recently ordered Clearview to stop collecting images

France's data privacy watchdog CNIL has ordered Clearview AI, a facial recognition company that has collected 10 billion images worldwide, to stop amassing and using data from people based in the country.

In a formal demand disclosed on Thursday, the CNIL stressed that Clearview's collection of publicly-available facial images on social media and the Internet had no legal basis and breached European Union rules on data privacy.

The regulator said the software company, which is used as a search engine for faces to help law enforcement and intelligence agencies in their investigations, failed to ask for the prior consent of those whose images it collected online.

Rise Conference Calls Off 2022 Event Citing COVID-19 Fears

"These biometric data are particularly sensitive, notably because they are linked to our physical identity (what we are) and allow us to be identified in a unique way," the authority said in a statement.

It added that the New York-based firm failed to give those concerned proper access to their data, notably by limiting access to twice a year, without justification, and by limiting this right to data racked up during the 12 months before any request.

Clearview did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

WhatsApp Details Features, Services It Offered in India in 2021

EU law provides for citizens to seek the removal of their personal data from a privately-owned database. The CNIL said Clearview had two months to abide by its demands or it could face a sanction.

The decision follows several complaints, among them one by advocacy group Privacy International. It follows a similar order by its Australian peer, which told Clearview to stop collecting images from websites and destroy data collected in the country.

The UK Information Commissioner's Office, which worked with the Australians on the Clearview investigation, also said last month it intended to fine Clearview 17 million pounds ($22.59 million) for alleged breaches of data protection law.

Why does Redmi refresh its phones so soon? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.