France’s data protection authority (DPA) announced Wednesday it issued a fine of 5.2 million euros (then-U.S. $5.7 million) against facial recognition company Clearview AI last month for failing to comply with an October order to cease and desist from further violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Clearview AI collects photographs from websites and then sells access to the database of images together with a search engine that can identify people. The company advertises the capabilities as helpful to law enforcement and security, but organizations and governments have raised concerns—and issued orders—that Clearview AI’s tools endanger the privacy of citizens and run afoul of regulations like the GDPR.
