Attorney General Charity Clark today announced the refiling of a lawsuit against Clearview AI, a company that uses facial recognition technology to map the faces of Vermonters, including children, without their knowledge and sells access to this data to its customers. The Complaint, filed in Vermont Superior Court, Washington Civil Division, alleges violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act.
The Complaint alleges that Clearview AI collects Vermonters’ photographs from the internet and stores the unique facial biometric identifiers of Vermonters, including children, in its database. It does this without Vermonters’ knowledge or consent. While Vermont law sets strict limits on the use of biometric information by state or local law enforcement agencies, Clearview AI sells access to other state and federal law enforcement, including the federal government and its contractors.
“I am highly disturbed by Clearview AI’s practices, conducted without Vermonters’ knowledge, particularly the collection and sale of children’s facial recognition data,” Attorney General Clark said. “This practice violates Vermont law and is chilling in this moment when the federal government’s overreach in matters like immigration enforcement are impacting our communities here in Vermont. I will continue to fight for the privacy of all Vermonters, especially children.”
To file a complaint regarding Clearview AI, please contact our Consumer Assistance Program at ago.cap@vermont.gov or 800-649-2424.
A copy of the complaint can be found here. A prior action filed by the Attorney General’s Office against Clearview AI was dismissed on venue grounds. Today’s action was filed in the venue of Washington County, where the Attorney General resides by statute.
CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Outreach and Communications Coordinator, 802-828-3171