• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Jobs
  • Career
    • Cyber Security Training
    • Work from Home
    • Cyber Security Analyst
    • Remote Work – Six Ways to Keep Your Data Safe When Working Remotely
  • Field Guide
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Deals
  • News
AskCyberSecurity.com

AskCyberSecurity.com

Cyber Security News & Information

  • Home
  • Data Privacy
    • Gamers
    • Government Cyber Security
      • Legislation
      • Standards
        • What are the risks of computer security?
        • Medical Cyber Security
    • Social Media
  • Security
    • Data Breaches
    • Scams
    • Malware
  • Software
    • Apps
    • Web Browsers
  • Glossary
    • Cyber Security Acronyms
  • About Ask Cyber Security
    • Authors
    • Contact Us
  • VPN
    • How Do I Know If My VPN is Working?
    • Best Free VPN iPhone
    • Why Use a VPN?
    • NordVPN vs IPVanish
    • Private Internet Access Download
    • Best VPN for Streaming
      • TikTok VPN
    • VPN Porn
    • Computer Security Software – What You Really Need
  • Tutorials
  • ChatGPT
    • Does ChatGPT Save Data?
AskCyber Home » News » Data Breach » Facial Recognition Company Clearview AI Breached

Facial Recognition Company Clearview AI Breached

2020-02-27 by Max

Facial Recognition Clearview AI Breached

Facial Recognition Company Clearview AI Breached – Facial Recognition Tech Company Law Enforcement Customer List Stolen

A controversial facial recognition technology company, Clearview AI, had its entire customer list of police agencies stolen. The company announced the data breach in letters to its customers. The stolen data includes Clearview’s customer data, which are all law enforcement agencies or banks. The stolen data includes the name of the subscriber, number of their user accounts, and the number of searches the customers had conducted.

Clearview maintains their own database of an incredible three billion images of people, all of which were collected and stored without innocent people’s knowledge or consent. Clearview positions itself and its technology as a resource for law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) facial recognition database has about 600 million images. According to the Clearview website, the company’s mission statement, “Clearview is a new research tool used by law enforcement agencies to identify perpetrators and victims of crimes.” Clearview’s website states it has helped law enforcement “down hundreds of at-large criminals.”

The statement from the company, reported by the Daily Beast, said that someone “gained unauthorized access” and stole the entire customer list comprised of police forces, law enforcement agencies, and banks. The company said that the person didn’t obtain any search histories conducted by customers, which include some police forces.

Clearview AI’s attorney Tor Ekeland said, “unfortunately, data breaches are a part of life.”

security cameras
security cameras

The company developed technology that matches faces and information to a database of more than three billion images. The images and video footage were scraped from public social media sites like Facebook, Venmo, YouTube, and more. Although this is legal, it is against the terms of service the sites established for themselves. Scraping is a term that means using automated software to visit websites and download text, photos, and other information from each page. Sony Life is Clearview AI’s parent company.

Access to the information is shared with Law Enforcement agencies as a subscription service.

There is also the Clearview app that lets police take a photo of anyone, anywhere and use the app to retrieve personal details like name, address, and anything else on file. All of this can happen without knowledge or consent of those being photgraphed, including those who have not been accused, charged, or convicted of any crime.

Clearview built its database by scraping information from public facing websites and social media sites. The company retains the images in their database even after users delete them from the social media accounts or change their accounts to private. Clearview has received cease-and-desist letters from Twitter, Google, and Facebook. The state of New Jersey banned the use of Clearview and launched an investigation.

Amazon Also Sells Facial Recognition Tech to Police

In May 2019, Amazon shareholders voted to go ahead with selling Amazon’s facial recognition technology to law enforcement agencies. The technology called, Facial Rekognition, can be used by police for mass surveillance. Both Microsoft and Google have refused to work with certain government agencies, and Microsoft has called for increased government regulation of facial recognition technology.

In February 2018, Amazon acquired Ring. The home security cameras have an app that lets users share video footage with other customers on its Neighbors app. Police can also access the videos, without a warrant, and use them to surveil neighborhoods.

Filed Under: Data Breach Tagged With: facial recognition

About Max

Max is a Data Privacy Coordinator at a major global law firm and a science fiction author residing in the Philadelphia area. He has been writing for https://www.askcybersecurity.com since early 2017.


LinkedInTwitterFacebook

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter

We Don't Share or Sell Your Info

Web Browsers

Where Are My Saved Passwords in Chrome?

Google Removes 70 Malicious Browser Add-ons from Chrome Web Store

Firefox 75 Reports Your Browser Settings to Mozilla

Categories

Cyber Security Field Guide

Computer Security While TravelingGet Our Cyber Security Field Guide - Available on Amazon!

Recent Posts

Security Marketing Manager – Remote

Sr. Associate, Cybersecurity Architect – Pfizer

Strategic Customer Success Manager – Cybersecurity – Opportunity for Working Remotely

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

ISU Cybersecurity Leader Job Opening

Cyber Security News

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

… [Read More...] about Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

… [Read More...] about Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

… [Read More...] about IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

… [Read More...] about National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

More Cyber Security News

Tags

amazon Android Apple bitcoin China chrome CISA credit card DarkSide DHS DOJ Equifax Europe Facebook facial recognition FBI Firefox FTC games GDPR Google Government hacker identity theft India iPhone Iran IRS LinkedIn Microsoft North Korea PayPal phishing phishing email ransomware REvil Russia smartphone T-Mobile TikTok tutorial VPN WhatsApp WiFi Windows

Government

CBP Looks to Access Airline Passenger Data

FTC Releases Cyber Threat Video Playlist

Malware Found on US Government Funded Phones

UK NCA Reaches Out to Youth to Deter Cybercrimes

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Authors
  • Newsletter Signup
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Search

Why Use a VPN?

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Review

NAVIGATION

  • Data Breaches
  • Data Privacy
  • Gamers
  • Scams
  • Malware

MEMBER NJCCIC

New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell

STAY CONNECTED

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Copyright © 2023 · AskCyberSecurity.com · METRONY, LLC

Go to mobile version