EXPANSIVE

Justice Department, ICE, Best Buy Among Facial Recognition Firm’s 2,200 Clients

Clearview AI, which reportedly has a database with billions of photos from social media, was breached on Wednesday.

Clearview AI, a facial-recognition company that has compiled billions of photos from social media platforms, reportedly has a list of more than 2,200 clients including the Department of Justice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and retailers such as Best Buy and Macy’s. The controversial startup has shared its database with thousands of organizations worldwide, BuzzFeed News reported on Thursday. ICE, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and Walmart are among those that have contracted with the company. The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday Clearview’s entire client list was stolen after an intruder “gained unauthorized access.” “Security is Clearview’s top priority,” an attorney for the company, Tor Ekeland, told the Beast. “Unfortunately, data breaches are part of life in the 21st century. Our servers were never accessed. We patched the flaw, and continue to work to strengthen our security.”