US police used Clearview facial recognition software over one million times: Report

Clearview AI, a facial recognition company that has over 30 billion images scraped without consent from social media platforms has made a startling admission. The company admitted that it has run nearly a million searches for the US police, according to a BBC report.

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The publication interviewed CEO Hoan Ton-That who admitted to the number. Similarly, Miami Police confirmed that the department had been using the software for every type of crime.

Clearview allows law enforcement officers to upload a photo of the face which is then matched with the database of billions of images. Considered one of the most powerful and accurate face recognition companies, Clearview's AI then provides links to the matching images, rather instantly.

Miami's Assistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar conceded that his troops used the tool over 450 times a year but only relied to put a face on the accused - often reverting to old-fashioned police work to nab the culprit.

"We don't make an arrest because an algorithm tells us to. We either put that name in a photographic line-up or we go about solving the case through traditional means," said Aguilar.

Despite US cities like Seattle, San Franciso and Portland banning the use of the surveillance software, the sheer number of search requests suggests that far more cities and their police departments were availing the services.

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The detractors of the service argue that the mega collection of photos and the indiscriminate use by the law authorities keeps everyone in a 'perpetual police setup' - akin to the dystopia of a censored state.

Moreover, there have been reports suggesting that AI has mistaken the identity of individuals, In several cases, the wrong person has been charged or arrested - leading to aspersions being cast over the efficiency of Clearview's AI software.

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When quizzed ifTon-That will be willing to get his software tested in front of a court for its accuracy, the CEO replied in negative.

"We don't really want to be in court testifying about the accuracy of the algorithm...because the investigators, they're using other methods to also verify it."

The US-based company is banned from selling its services to private companies afterAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) took it to court for breaking privacy laws. However, it continues to provide services to law enforcement agencies.

(With inputs from agencies)

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