Clearview AI sued in California over ‘most dangerous’ facial recognition database

The Associated Press

Chicago Sun-Times

Mar 11, 2021

Civil liberties activists are suing a company that provides facial recognition services to law enforcement agencies and private companies around the world, contending that Clearview AI illegally stockpiled data on 3 billion people without their knowledge or permission.

The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court in the San Francisco bay area, says the New York company violates California’s constitution and seeks a court order to bar it from collecting biometric information in California and requiring it to delete data on Californians.

The lawsuit says the company has built “the most dangerous” facial recognition database in the nation, has fielded requests from more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies and private companies and has amassed a database nearly seven times larger than the FBI’s.