Clearview AI successfully appealed against a $9m fine in the UK

Amr Alfiky/The New York Times

Clearview AI, a company that created a facial recognition app for police, has successfully challenged a $9 million fine by the UK's ICO regulator.

Here's What We Know

Last year, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) fined Clearview AI for illegally storing facial images of UK citizens.

This week, the Court of Appeal ruled that the ICO does not have the power to regulate the use of Britons' data by foreign law enforcement agencies.

Clearview AI said it was pleased with the court's decision. The ICO said that the ruling does not override their right to act against foreign companies processing the data of the country's citizens.

Flashback

Clearview AI has collected billions of photos from public sources and created a facial search engine for police.

Regulators in several countries found this to be a violation of privacy laws and fined the company. But Clearview AI claims it has helped solve many crimes.

Critics believe Clearview's technology effectively puts everyone under police surveillance.

Source: The New York Times