In recent years, Clearview AI has become one of the most controversial companies in the tech industry. Its facial recognition technology has raised serious concerns about privacy and surveillance, with many experts warning that the technology poses a significant threat to individual freedom and civil liberties.

Clearview AI is a company that specializes in facial recognition technology. It has created a database of over three billion facial images, which it claims can be used to identify people in real-time. The technology is used by law enforcement agencies, private companies, and other organizations to identify individuals and track their movements.

The problem with Clearview AI’s technology is that it operates in a gray area of the law. While it claims that its technology is legal, many experts argue that it violates privacy laws and poses a significant threat to individual freedom. For example, the technology can be used to track people’s movements without their knowledge or consent, raising concerns about surveillance and government overreach.

One of the most concerning aspects of Clearview AI’s technology is that it is almost impossible to opt-out of. Unlike other online services, which allow users to delete their accounts and erase their data, Clearview AI’s technology is designed to operate without users’ knowledge or consent. This means that people who have never even heard of Clearview AI could still be tracked and identified using the technology.

The lack of transparency around Clearview AI’s operations has also raised concerns about the company’s accountability. Despite claims that its technology is used for legitimate law enforcement purposes, there have been numerous reports of abuse and misuse. For example, some law enforcement agencies have reportedly used the technology to target protesters and activists, raising concerns about the erosion of civil liberties.

Clearview AI has been at the center of controversy and criticism since it first emerged in the tech industry. The facial recognition technology company has been accused of violating privacy laws and operating in a morally dubious gray area. Here are some of the most absurd aspects of Clearview AI:

1. The company scraped billions of images without consent

Clearview AI’s database of facial images is made up of billions of images scraped from social media and other online platforms. However, the company did not obtain the consent of the individuals whose images were added to its database. This has raised serious concerns about privacy and the legality of Clearview AI’s operations.

2. Its technology has been used to identify Capitol rioters

One of the most absurd uses of Clearview AI’s technology was during the investigation into the January 6th Capitol riots. Law enforcement agencies reportedly used the technology to identify individuals who had taken part in the riots. This raised concerns about the government’s use of facial recognition technology to target political dissidents and protestors.

3. Clearview AI’s founder compared his technology to nuclear bombs

In a bizarre statement, Clearview AI’s founder, Hoan Ton-That, compared his technology to nuclear bombs, saying that it had the potential to be used for good or evil. This comparison is absurd, given the overwhelming evidence that Clearview AI’s technology poses a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties.

4. It’s been sued by social media giants

Clearview AI has been sued by social media giants including Facebook, Google, and Twitter for scraping their platforms for images without permission. The lawsuits allege that Clearview AI violated the companies’ terms of service and infringed on their users’ privacy rights. The absurdity of this situation is that Clearview AI built its business by violating the terms of service of the very companies it scraped images from.

Clearview AI’s operations and use of facial recognition technology have been absurd and often unethical. The company’s lack of transparency and accountability, combined with its violation of privacy laws, have raised serious concerns about the future of privacy and civil liberties in a world where technology is becoming increasingly invasive. It’s clear that policymakers must act to regulate the use of facial recognition technology and protect citizens’ rights from the harms of this invasive technology.

February 2020, Google filed a lawsuit against Clearview AI, alleging that the facial recognition technology company had violated its terms of service by scraping images from Google’s platforms without permission. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and sought an injunction to prevent Clearview AI from scraping images from Google’s platforms, as well as damages for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and unfair competition.

Google’s lawsuit was just one of several legal challenges facing Clearview AI at the time. The company had also been sued by Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for similar violations of their terms of service. These lawsuits alleged that Clearview AI had scraped billions of images from social media platforms without permission, in violation of copyright laws and privacy rights.

Clearview AI defended its actions, arguing that its technology was being used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. The company claimed that its technology had helped law enforcement agencies to solve crimes and apprehend suspects who would have otherwise gone free.

However, many experts were skeptical of Clearview AI’s claims. They argued that the company’s technology posed a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties, and that its operations were shrouded in secrecy and lacked transparency.

In the end, the legal challenges facing Clearview AI proved to be too much. In January 2021, the company announced that it would stop selling its technology to private companies and would only work with law enforcement agencies. This decision was seen as a major victory for privacy advocates, who had been calling for greater regulation of facial recognition technology.

The lawsuit filed by Google against Clearview AI was subsequently dropped, as the company had agreed to stop scraping images from Google’s platforms. However, the lawsuit filed by Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn remains ongoing, with the companies seeking damages for the unauthorized use of their images.

Google’s lawsuit against Clearview AI was just one of several legal challenges facing the facial recognition technology company. While Clearview AI defended its actions as being in the interest of public safety, many experts were skeptical of the company’s claims and argued that its operations posed a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties. Ultimately, Clearview AI’s decision to stop selling its technology to private companies was seen as a victory for privacy advocates, and a step towards greater regulation of facial recognition technology.

In February 2020, Facebook filed a lawsuit against Clearview AI for scraping billions of images from the social media platform without permission. The lawsuit alleged that Clearview AI’s actions violated Facebook’s terms of service and infringed on users’ privacy rights.

Facebook’s lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. In the complaint, Facebook accused Clearview AI of violating federal and state laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the California Comprehensive Data Access and Fraud Act.

According to Facebook’s complaint, Clearview AI used automated software to scrape Facebook’s platform for images, violating the company’s terms of service. Clearview AI then added these images to its database of over three billion facial images, which it uses to identify people in real-time.

Facebook argued that Clearview AI’s actions were not only illegal but also harmful to its users’ privacy. In a statement, Facebook said that “Scraping people’s information violates our policies, and we have taken action to stop it.”

Facebook’s lawsuit was one of several filed against Clearview AI in early 2020. Google, Twitter, and LinkedIn also sued the company for scraping their platforms for images without permission. These lawsuits alleged that Clearview AI’s actions violated their terms of service and users’ privacy rights.

Clearview AI has faced significant criticism and controversy since it first emerged in the tech industry. The company’s facial recognition technology has been accused of violating privacy laws and operating in a morally dubious gray area.

In response to the lawsuits, Clearview AI has defended its technology, arguing that it is legal and used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. However, the lack of transparency and accountability around Clearview AI’s operations has raised concerns about the potential for abuse and misuse of the technology.

Facebook’s lawsuit against Clearview AI is just one example of the growing concerns about the use of facial recognition technology and the need for stronger privacy laws and regulations. The lawsuit highlights the importance of protecting users’ privacy and the potential harm that can be caused by companies that violate these rights.

Also In February 2020, Twitter filed a lawsuit against Clearview AI for violating its policies and scraping user data from its platform without permission. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California and accused Clearview AI of violating the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, as well as the state’s unfair competition law.

Twitter’s lawsuit alleged that Clearview AI had “scraped billions of photographs and other personal information from public-facing profiles on social media sites, including Twitter” and that the company had “engaged in this unlawful practice on a massive scale, causing continuing and severe harm to Twitter’s users and the integrity of its platform.”

Twitter’s policies prohibit the use of its platform data for facial recognition purposes, and the company claimed that Clearview AI had violated these policies by using its platform to create its facial recognition database.

The lawsuit also alleged that Clearview AI’s technology posed a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties. Twitter argued that the technology could be used to track and identify individuals without their knowledge or consent, potentially leading to the erosion of civil liberties and the abuse of government power.

Clearview AI responded to the lawsuit by denying any wrongdoing and claiming that its technology was being used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. The company argued that its technology had helped law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend criminals, including child predators and terrorists.

However, the lawsuit continued, and in July 2021, Twitter was granted a default judgment against Clearview AI. This meant that the court found in favor of Twitter because Clearview AI had failed to respond to the lawsuit or appear in court to defend itself.

The judgment included an injunction that prevented Clearview AI from scraping data from Twitter’s platform and required the company to delete any data it had already collected. The judgment also awarded Twitter $9.5 million in damages.

In conclusion, Twitter’s lawsuit against Clearview AI highlights the growing concern about the use of facial recognition technology and the potential threats to privacy and civil liberties. The judgment against Clearview AI sends a strong message that companies that violate user privacy will face consequences, and it serves as a warning to other companies that engage in similar practices.

Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology poses a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties. Its lack of transparency and accountability, combined with the inability to opt-out, makes it a serious concern for anyone who values individual freedom and privacy. As such, it is important that policymakers take action to regulate the use of facial recognition technology and protect citizens from the potential harms of this invasive technology.