September 3, 2024 at 01:17PM
The Dutch Data Protection Authority fined Clearview AI €30.5 million for illegal facial recognition data collection of Dutch citizens. The company’s technology compiles a vast database of faces from public internet sources without consent, prompting privacy and ethical concerns. Clearview AI disputes the fine, claiming lack of EU jurisdiction. Additional non-compliance could lead to a further €5.1 million fine.
From the meeting notes, it is evident that the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA) has imposed a substantial fine of €30.5 million on Clearview AI for unlawful data collection using facial recognition, particularly from Dutch citizens without their consent. Clearview AI, an American technology company, has drawn criticism for creating a vast database of facial images from public sources on the internet and using them to generate unique biometric identifiers.
The Dutch DPA’s chairman, Aleid Wolfsen, has emphasized the intrusive nature of facial recognition technology and the lack of consent as a violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This violation has also prompted fines from authorities in Italy and France. Despite these actions, Clearview AI has rejected the Dutch DPA’s claims and has stated that it does not have a place of business or customers in the Netherlands or the EU and therefore is not subject to the GDPR.
The Dutch DPA has threatened an additional fine if Clearview AI continues its non-compliance. It is clear from the meeting notes that there is a contentious dispute between Clearview AI and the Dutch DPA regarding jurisdiction and compliance with data protection regulations, and it remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the future.