Controversial Facial Recognition Firm Clearview AI Used Widely by US Agencies and Retailers
Clearview AI provides its controversial facial recognition software to over 2,200 organizations globally, including ICE, the FBI, and major retailers. The startup's massive scope raises significant privacy and oversight concerns.
Clearview AI provides its controversial facial recognition technology to a massive network of over 2,200 law enforcement agencies, government entities, and private companies across 27 countries. The startup builds its database by scraping billions of photos from the web and social media without user consent, creating a powerful biometric identification system that operates with little oversight.
Paid contracts and official credentials show that a wide range of American institutions use this software, including the Department of Justice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and Customs and Border Protection. Beyond federal law enforcement, the client list extends into the private sector, encompassing major retailers like Macy's, Walmart, and Best Buy, as well as unexpected organizations like the NBA and a sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates.
The company uses a flood-the-zone approach to expand its reach, often granting access to individual employees without the knowledge of their organizational management. Despite facing legal threats from major tech platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter, Clearview successfully embeds its surveillance tools at every level of society, confirming observers' fears about the unchecked spread of facial recognition technology.