Privacy regulator unable to fine facial recognition firm for breaching data rules on behalf of foreign law enforcement

Britain’s privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has been unable to fine Clearview AI, a controversial facial recognition firm, for breaching data protection rules on behalf of foreign law enforcement. A judge ruled that the ICO lacked jurisdiction in the case because the data processing in question was conducted for foreign government agencies. Clearview AI came under scrutiny in 2020 when it was revealed that the company had harvested billions of social media images without users’ consent. The ICO took action against the firm, imposing a £7.5 million fine and ordering the deletion of data belonging to UK residents. However, it remains uncertain whether Clearview actually deleted the data as required. Despite the ruling, the ICO maintains that it can still take action against international companies that process data of individuals in the UK, particularly those that scrape data from UK residents. Clearview AI, which now only serves federal agencies and law enforcement in the US and a few other countries, welcomed the court’s decision. The ICO is considering its next steps in light of the judgment.