Facial recognition controversy

There are several stories today that are related to the same issue, facial recognition and one controveral company. Clearview AI, is gathering lots of photos, your photos and using them in their system, without your permission and then selling your image to law enforcement.

I don’t like when companies take the approach that they can just scrape personal information and then use that as an asset they sell. You are taking resources, not paying or getting permission for the very resource that is key to the value prop of your business. It is just a sleazy business practice.

Here are three of the many sources available:

NY Times: “The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It”

Mashable: “Controversial facial recognition company claims it has a First Amendment right to your public photos”

The VERGE: “YouTube demands Clearview AI stop scraping its videos for facial recognition database”

If you want to Opt Out you need to live in California or the European Union. On Clearview’s site the privacy request forms are only available for select people.

Source: https://clearview.ai/privacy/requests

I hope the other leading social media companies join YouTube in shutting this down.

UPDATE: According to Mashable, Facebook has joined YouTube in sending a cease and desist letter to the company to stop. (source)

About Tim Lynch

SaaS Growth is my job, understanding consumer behavior and creative problem solving fuels my curiosity. Striving to be a good father and husband is my journey.