Italy-based data privacy watchdog on Wednesday fined US-based firm Clearview AI Euro 20 million (approximately Rs 168.44 crore) for its controversial facial recognition software. Watchdog instructed the agency to delete data relating to the people of Italy and prohibited it from collecting and processing data there.
Clearview AI says it has created a database of more than 10 billion facial images taken from public websites, from social media to news sites, which it claims to be a tool for law enforcement.
Italy’s Privacy Watchdog says that despite claims against Clearview, the firm has allowed tracking of citizens and people in Italy. “Personal data held by the company, including biometric and geolocation data, is processed illegally,” Watchdog said. The company has violated a number of GDPR policies, including the European Union’s privacy regulations introduced in 2018 to control who can access personal data.
In addition to the fines, Watchdog said Clearview should nominate an EU representative to act as a “negotiator” with the plaintiffs.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. In December, France’s privacy watchdog ordered Clearview to delete its citizens’ information and stop further collection. Meanwhile, in June last year, Canada’s Independent Parliamentary Oversight Commission ruled that both Clearview’s database and its use by federal police were illegal.