Facial Recognition Company Sued By California Activists

Civil liberties activists are suing a company that provides facial recognition services to law enforcement agencies and private companies around the world, contending that Clearview AI illegally stockpiled data on 3 billion people without their knowledge or permission.

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The lawsuit, filed this week in Alameda County Superior Court in the San Francisco Bay Area, contends that the New York-based firm violates California’s constitution and seeks an injunction to bar it from collecting biometric information in California and requiring it to delete data on Californians.

The lawsuit says the company has built “the most dangerous” facial recognition database in the nation, has fielded requests from more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies and private companies, and has amassed a database nearly seven times larger than the FBI’s.

The lawsuit was filed by four activists and the groups Mijente and Norcal Resist, who have supported causes such as Black Lives Matter and have been critical of the policies of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has a contract with Clearview AI.