Clearview AI Ban Reconsidered After Collaboration.
Clearview AI Ban Reconsidered – Australia’s ban on Clearview AI face recognition technology could be reconsidered after a collaboration between Australian police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) unit.
The collaboration came after a HIS investigation called ‘Renewed Hope’ drew in Australian police forces during a 3-week trial investigation of 600 cold cases of child sexual exploitation which resulted in the unprecedented identification of 311 victims.
Clearview cannot legally be used in Australia due to incompatibility with national data protection laws – Australia’s Administrative Appeals Tribunal affirmed this judgment in June.
However, a retired detective told 7News Australian police are “fighting with our hands tied behind our backs when it comes to protecting kids”.
Clearview AI Ban Reconsidered After Collaboration
Clearview’s technology poses a challenge for authorities in Australia. In November 2021 the Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner, Angelene Falk, found Clearview AI had breached Australians’ privacy by scraping their biometric information from the web and disclosing it through its facial recognition tool.
The Standing Council of Attorney-Generals is scheduled to meet in September, and its thought the issue of controlled use of facial recognition technology by Australian police will be discussed at the meeting.
You can find out more about Clearview AI technology here or read more SEN news here.
Commissioner Falk found that Clearview AI breached the Australian Privacy Act 1988 by:
- Collecting Australians’ sensitive information without consent
- Collecting personal information by unfair means
- Not taking reasonable steps to notify individuals of the collection of personal information
- Not taking reasonable steps to ensure that personal information it disclosed was accurate, having regard to the purpose of disclosure
- Not taking reasonable steps to implement practices, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles
- A determination ordered Clearview AI to cease collecting facial images and biometric templates from individuals in Australia, and to destroy existing images and templates collected from Australia.
“Clearview AI Ban Reconsidered After Collaboration.”
