Dutch Regulator Slaps Clearview AI With Record $33.7M Privacy Fine
The Netherlands' data protection authority fines Clearview AI €30.5 million for GDPR violations, warning of additional penalties if the company continues its non-compliance.
The Netherlands' data protection authority imposes a €30.5 million fine on Clearview AI for multiple GDPR violations, marking the largest privacy penalty the facial recognition startup faces in Europe. The regulator confirms that Clearview's massive database of 30 billion scraped images contains photos of Dutch citizens. This new fine surpasses previous sanctions issued by France, Italy, Greece, and the U.K. in 2022.
The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens cites several severe breaches, including the unlawful collection of biometric data without a valid legal basis and a failure to inform individuals whose data is scraped. The investigation starts after three individuals file complaints regarding Clearview's refusal to comply with GDPR data access and deletion requests. The regulator states that Clearview cannot rely on any statutory exceptions to justify gathering these unique biometric codes.
The Dutch regulator warns of an additional €5.1 million penalty that takes effect immediately due to Clearview's continued non-compliance after the investigation concludes. This brings the potential total financial hit to €35.6 million if the company keeps ignoring the authority's orders. A Clearview representative does not respond to detailed questions but provides a brief statement to the press.