“Privacy Protection Prevails: France Holds Clearview AI Accountable for Fine Evasion”

On Wednesday, May 12th, 2023, Clearview AI faced further penalties from France’s privacy watchdog for failing to pay a 20-million-euro fine for data breaches imposed last year. Clearview AI, a US-based firm, collects images of faces from the internet without permission and sells access to billions of pictures to clients, including law enforcement agencies. French watchdog CNIL fined Clearview last October and instructed it to cease and desist from collecting French citizens’ data. The watchdog warned it would impose a penalty of 100,000 euros ($110,000) per day if Clearview refused to comply. The company failed to meet the deadline and did not send any proof of compliance within the prescribed time limit. Thus, CNIL did not hesitate in imposing an additional penalty of 5.2 million euros on top of the initial fine.

Clearview AI has already been banned from selling its primary database to private clients in the United States, and it has been ordered to cease its operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Clearview boss Hoan Ton-That stated at the time of the initial decision that his company had no clients or premises in France and was not subject to EU privacy laws. However, Clearview AI has now been exposed as an investor magnet, having secured investments of nearly $40 million from investors, including prominent Silicon Valley conservative Peter Thiel.

Clearview AI’s case serves as a critical reminder to tech companies that they must respect privacy laws and regulations wherever they operate. The penalties in Clearview AI’s case demonstrate the importance of accountability in the tech industry. Governments worldwide must ensure that there are regulations in place to hold tech companies liable for their actions, even if they are operating outside of that country. It is clear that Clearview AI was able to operate in multiple countries and continents, disregarding local laws and regulations, before being held accountable by the CNIL. Regulators worldwide must work in unison to combat these issues and ensure violators do not escape penalties by taking advantage of loopholes.

It is also essential that companies such as Clearview AI get the message that they must operate with transparency. Transparency can only be achieved through active communication with regulators and governments, being forthcoming about business practices, and ensuring that consumer privacy is adequately protected. As facial recognition technology continues to advance and become more prevalent in society, tech companies must operate with these values in mind.

Ultimately, the case of Clearview AI serves as a warning that the use of facial recognition technology without consent for access to personal data without explicit permission will not be tolerated in France. Policymakers and regulators must create robust legislation for the protection of consumer data and privacy for the country to benefit its citizens. Privacy protection should be taken far more seriously by tech firms and governments, and penalties should reflect the gravity of this issue. In the age of connectivity and AI advancement, technology firms must operate with an ambitious and safe data collection protocol while under the supervision of all regulators worldwide.

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