Clearview AI- is a facial recognition firm to deletes all facial recognition data belonging to Australian Citizens. According to Australian Law, the company breached the Country’s privacy law. Clearview firm has collected around 10 billion images of people from Social media sites. It sells its technology to law enforcement agencies. In October 2019, and March 2020, Australian federal police took action against the firm. After investigation, the Australian privacy regulator, the Office of Australian Information Commissioner found that the company breached Citizen’s privacy.

Talking to the Press, OAIC Privacy Commissioner Angelen Falk said, ‘’ The Covert collection of this kind of sensitive information is unreasonably intrusive and unfair. It carries significant risk of harm to individuals, including vulnerable groups such as children and victims of crime, whose images can be search on Clearview Al’s database.’’

Moreover, the citizens who use social media sites expect their facial images to be secure and safe. Collecting personal information and Facial images of individuals impact the personal freedoms of all Australians. Who perceive themselves to be under surveillance.

Clearview Response

According to The Guardian, the firm intends to appeal against the decision. Mark Love, a lawyer for the firm BAL lawyers representing Clearview says, ‘’ Clearview Al operates legitimately according to the laws of its places of Business. Not only has it commissioner’s decision missed the mark on the manner of Clearview Al’s manner of operation, but the commissioner also lacks jurisdiction.’’

Also, the firm claims that the images collected were publicly available. There is no breach of privacy that happened, and they were publish in the US, so Australian law doesn’t apply.

The Australian founder and CEO of Clearview Al, Hoan Ton-That, said he respects the efforts of the commissioner in the matter, and also for evaluating the technology but he is ‘’ dishearten by the misinterpretation of its value to society.’’

Throughout the world, facial recognition is taken as a threat to privacy and also eliminates anonymity in public spaces. Facebook parent company Meta announced yesterday that it’s shutting down the social platform’s facial recognition feature. Also, delete all the facial templates shaped for the structure.