Senator Edward J. Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in Boston, has reached out to Clearview AI to request detailed information regarding the company’s facial recognition systems. Senator Markey highlighted the significant risks posed by Clearview AI’s practices to civil liberties and privacy rights, particularly emphasizing the potential impact on individuals of color. He expressed serious apprehensions about the company’s operations, citing a recent report that revealed a disturbing incident where a Black Georgia resident, who had never even been to Louisiana, was wrongfully incarcerated due to the Louisiana Sheriff’s Office’s reliance on inaccurate information provided by Clearview AI.
In his letter addressed to CEO Hoan Ton-That, Senator Markey underscored the inherent threats that facial recognition technologies, especially those utilized by Clearview AI, pose to privacy rights and civil liberties. He stressed that the American populace should not have to compromise their personal privacy in the name of public safety, especially when law enforcement agencies are leveraging Clearview AI’s products. Senator Markey urged Clearview AI to carefully consider the privacy implications associated with facial recognition technology and to be transparent about the development and utilization of such technology if the company genuinely intends to participate in the legislative efforts aimed at regulating artificial intelligence.
Senator Markey has set a deadline of December 11, 2023, for Clearview AI to provide detailed responses to a series of inquiries, including but not limited to elucidating the storage methods for images collected from the internet, disclosing the data used to train their facial recognition algorithms, and clarifying whether demographic characteristics such as race, gender, nationality, and age are monitored in the images processed by Clearview AI. Additionally, Senator Markey seeks information on the testing procedures conducted by Clearview AI to assess the accuracy and reliability of their systems under real-world conditions akin to those encountered by law enforcement agencies.
Furthermore, Senator Markey inquires about the clientele of Clearview AI, both in the public and private sectors, and requests insights into the security protocols implemented by the company in response to past security breaches. He also seeks clarification on Clearview AI’s compliance with data protection regulations and the development of real-time facial recognition technology. Senator Markey’s overarching objective is to ensure accountability and transparency in the operations of facial recognition technology companies, advocating for legislative measures such as the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act to restrict the government’s use of such technologies.
Senator Markey’s persistent efforts to address the ethical and privacy concerns surrounding Clearview AI’s facial recognition systems reflect his commitment to safeguarding civil liberties and promoting responsible technology usage within government and law enforcement agencies.
