The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) has recently fined facial recognition technology company Clearview AI €3050 (approximately $33 million) for violating relevant laws in the collection of user images.
The DPA stated that many individuals whose images appear in Clearview's database were unaware that their images were being used and had not given their consent.
Image source: Generated by AI, authorized by service provider Midjourney
Chairman of the DPA, Aleid Wolfsen, pointed out in a statement: "Facial recognition is a highly invasive technology and should not be arbitrarily imposed on anyone. If there is a photo of you on the internet, you could be included in Clearview's database and tracked."
Wolfsen further emphasized that Clearview's actions were illegal, and Dutch institutions using its services could also face hefty fines. Clearview AI's Chief Legal Officer, Kilian Mulka, stated that the company has no business or clients in the Netherlands or the EU, and therefore should not be subject to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). He also claimed that the DPA's decision was illegal, lacked proper procedures, and was not enforceable.
Clearview AI has frequently been involved in legal disputes due to its database. The company's software crawls the internet for publicly available photos and includes these images in its database, which reportedly contains over 50 billion images. Clients using the platform can upload their own images (such as those captured by surveillance cameras) to identify individuals within them.
Clearview claims that government agencies using the platform can obtain high-quality leads with minimal resource expenditure, effectively and quickly identifying suspects and victims, and helping to solve and prevent crimes.
However, the Dutch DPA believes that Clearview has violated the GDPR regulations, and individuals should have the right to access data related to themselves and be informed if this data is stored. The DPA also pointed out that Clearview did not cease its违规行为 after the investigation, and has ordered Clearview to stop these illegal activities. Failure to do so could result in additional fines of up to €5.1 million.
Although Clearview AI does not operate within the EU, the personal liability issues faced by its management have attracted attention. The DPA is investigating whether it can hold Clearview's managers personally liable, especially if they knew GDPR was being violated but chose not to act. Wolfsen emphasized: "These companies cannot continue to infringe upon the rights of Europeans, especially on such a serious and large scale."
Key Points:
🌍 The Dutch Data Protection Authority fines Clearview AI $33 million for illegally collecting user images.
⚖️ Clearview AI argues that it is not subject to EU law and refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of the fine.
👥 The DPA is considering pursuing personal liability against Clearview's management to stop their illegal activities.