In accordance with Dutch regulations, American AI company Clearview will incur a penalty of approximately €30.5 million.
In the Netherlands, facial recognition specialist Clearview AI has been slapped with a €30.5 million fine by their data protection authority. The authority stated, "Clearview holdings a database comprising over 30 billion images of individuals without their consent or knowledge." It further pointed out that Dutch citizens' images were found within this "illicit" database.
Clearview must cease its privacy and data protection violations, the authority mandated. If they fail to comply, they face an additional fine of up to €5.1 million, plus a ban on their operation within the Netherlands.
Clearview amassed billions of photos, including those from users of online platforms like Facebook, to build a biometric database. Their software is utilized by law enforcement agencies in various countries, including the U.S. Critics, particularly privacy advocates, have levied severe criticisms at Clearview's business model, labeling the photo collection without consent as illegal.
Clearview has been hit with hefty fines in the UK, France, and Italy as well.
The authority also criticized Clearview for using photos without consent, deeming it a violation of other individuals' privacy rights. Failure to adhere to these regulations and address the issue of unauthorized use of 'Other' people's images could lead to further penalties.
