September 3, 2024 at 10:18AM
The Netherlands’ Data Protection Agency fined Clearview AI 30.5 million euros for creating an “illegal database” of billions of photos without sufficient consent. Clearview’s chief legal officer contested the decision, claiming it falls outside EU data protection regulations. The company faces further penalties if it continues to breach regulations. Clearview previously settled a lawsuit in Illinois.
Following the meeting notes, the Dutch data protection watchdog has issued a hefty fine of 30.5 million euros to the facial recognition startup Clearview AI, citing the creation of an “illegal database” comprising billions of photos of faces. Additionally, the agency has warned Dutch companies against using Clearview’s services, stating that such usage is also prohibited.
Clearview AI has not objected to the decision and is unable to appeal against the fine. The company’s chief legal officer, Jack Mulcaire, has expressed the decision as “unlawful, devoid of due process and unenforceable” in a statement to the Associated Press, while asserting that Clearview AI does not fall under EU data protection regulations.
The Dutch agency highlighted serious breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation by Clearview AI, emphasizing that facial recognition is a highly intrusive technology that should not be freely deployed. Moreover, the agency warned that if Clearview AI continues to violate the regulation, it faces additional noncompliance penalties of up to 5.1 million euros in addition to the initial fine.
This legal and regulatory action in the Netherlands follows a recent settlement in an Illinois lawsuit, where Clearview AI agreed to resolve allegations of privacy rights violations related to its massive photo collection. The startup has also faced fines and penalties in other countries, including the UK, Canada, and France.