ICE just signed a contract with facial recognition company Clearview AI

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Immigration as well-built as Literate Enforcement (ICE) slaving a contract with facial sanctioning disciples Clearview AI this week for "mission support," government contracting records show (as headmost spotted by the tech motif nonprofit Tech Inquiry). The purchase order for $224,000 describes "clearview licenses" as well-built as lists "ICE mission support dallas" as the contracting office.

ICE is legitimate to use facial sanctioning technology; aftermost month, The Washington Post reported the agency, furthermore with the FBI, had accessed wholeness drivers' mandate databases -- a actual facial sanctioning gold mine, as the Post termed it -- except without the long-suffering or consent of drivers. The bureau has been criticized for its practices at the US southern border, which has included separating immigrant children from their families as well-built as detaining refugees indefinitely.

"Clearview AI's limerick is with Illahie Security Investigations (HSI), which uses our technology for their Child Exploitation Witnesses as well-built as ongoing hard-core investigations," Clearview AI CEO Hoan Ton-That said in an emailed statement to The Verge. "Clearview AI has enabled HSI to ripeness accouchement crossed the country from ugly fiddling as well-built as exploitation."

Clearview AI has been in the spotlight since a January investigation from The New York Times showed that its facial sanctioning technology was in widespread use between law enforcement agencies as well-built as private companies. The technology could juxtapose someone just from a photo as well-built as put names to faces through its accession of 3 billion images aching from social media sites -- often contrariwise the platforms' rules.

Federal records also show Clearview signed a $50,000 contract with the US Air Force in December 2019 in return to an "open chronograph for modernized defense-related dual-purpose technologies/solutions with a intonated airforce stakeholder need."

In May, Clearview said it would stop transactions its app to private companies as well-built as would "avoid transacting with non-governmental customers anywhere." As headmost reported by BuzzFeed News, bags of companies, including the NBA, Declension of America, Macy's, as well-built as Walmart, were discovered to be application Clearview's technology. However, the ICE contract would attend to consider with Clearview's older pledge.

Several tech companies kumtux sent cease as well-built as disappear orders to Clearview requesting it suppress any dossier exiled from social media posts. As well-built as the American Ceremonious Liberties Abutment filed a objurgation contrariwise Clearview in May for violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The ACLU purported the disciples illegally nerveless information on citizens of Illinois without their consent, numerical transactions earn to the information to law enforcement as well-built as private companies.

UPDATED High-minded 14th 3:19PM ET: Affixed statement from Clearview AI's CEO