• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Our Services
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Top Nav Social Icons

FindBiometrics

FindBiometrics

Global Identity Management

  • Biometrics
    • What are Biometrics?
    • FAQ
    • Biometric Associations
    • Companies
    • Premier Partners
  • News
    • Featured Articles
    • Interviews
    • Thought Leadership
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • Year in Review
  • Applications
    • Biometric Security
    • Border Control and Airport Biometrics
    • Consumer and Residential Biometrics
    • Financial Biometrics
    • Fingerprint & Biometric Locks
    • Healthcare Biometrics
    • Justice and Law Enforcement Biometrics
    • Logical Access Control Biometrics
    • Mobile Biometrics
    • Other Biometric Applications
    • Physical Access Control Biometrics
    • Biometric Time and Attendance
  • Solutions
    • Behavioral Biometrics
    • Biometric Sensors and Detectors
    • Facial Recognition
    • Biometric Fingerprint Readers
    • Hand Readers & Finger Scanners
    • Iris Recognition
    • Biometric Middleware and Software
    • Multimodal Biometrics
    • Physiological Biometrics
    • Smart Cards
    • Vein Recognition
    • Voice and Speech Recognition
  • Stocks
  • Events
  • Companies
  • Podcasts

Amid Lawsuits and Controversy, Clearview AI Raised $8.6 Million in Funding

September 28, 2020

Contentious facial recognition startup Clearview AI is in the news once again after financial documents filed this week reveal the firm recently raised $8.6 million in a fundraising round.

Amid Lawsuits and Controversy, Clearview AI Raised $8.6 Million in Funding

Though Clearview did not disclose any of the donors, CEO Hoan Ton-That did issue a statement to BuzzFeed News, saying that his company is “gratified by the ongoing support from our wide range of diverse investors who are committed to Clearview AI and its mission to help law enforcement solve crimes.”

Clearview AI found itself under global scrutiny following a New York Times front page story that revealed the New York-based firm had scraped billions of images off of sites like Google, YouTube and Twitter, and used them as the basis for its facial recognition tool offered to law enforcement agencies across North America.

The months that followed saw Clearview make headlines several more times for a number of reasons, including a security breach that exposed its client list (and subsequently revealed that it was larger and more varied than the company had initially claimed), a number of lawsuits including a class-action BIPA suit, and investigations from privacy watchdogs from around the world.

Last month, in a move keeping in step with its controversial history thus far, Clearview signed a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for $224,000, which is its largest contract to date.

The recent filing brings Clearview’s total known funding up to roughly $17 million, a number that can be considered low for such a high-profile company in a biometrics market sector that is currently booming.

The document did, however, reveal the names of two previously unidentified members of Clearview’s Board of Directors: Murtaza Akbar of Liberty City Ventures in New York, and Hal Lambert, the founder of Point Bridge Capital and former campaign fundraiser for a number of high-profile Republicans including Ted Cruz and Rick Perry.

In a March New York Times story, Lambert told the paper that he had personal access to Clearview’s app — something the company had initially said was only reserved for law enforcement officials — and that he had demonstrated it to some of his friends. Lambert’s Point Bridge is known to have created an exchange-traded fund called MAGA ETF, which is comprised of 150 companies that “are highly supportive of Republican candidates.”

Source: BuzzFeed News

–

September 28, 2020 – by Tony Bitzionis

Related News

  • Italian Regulators Issue €20 Million Fine Against Clearview AIItalian Regulators Issue €20 Million Fine Against Clearview AI
  • Australian Information Commissioner Finds Clearview Violated Privacy ActAustralian Information Commissioner Finds Clearview Violated Privacy Act
  • Court of Appeals Rules South Wales Police Use of Automatic Facial Recognition to be UnlawfulCourt of Appeals Rules South Wales Police Use of Automatic Facial Recognition to be Unlawful
  • Clearview AI Facing Even More Investigations Over Biometric Data ScrapingClearview AI Facing Even More Investigations Over Biometric Data Scraping
  • Clearview Loses Sales Staff and Two ExecutivesClearview Loses Sales Staff and Two Executives
  • Are Democrats and Republicans That Far Apart on Facial Recognition? It Depends Who’s in the White HouseAre Democrats and Republicans That Far Apart on Facial Recognition? It Depends Who’s in the White House

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Biometric, biometric data, biometrics, Clearview AI, face biometrics, facial recognition, funding, law enforcement biometrics, Privacy, privacy issues

Primary Sidebar

EXCLUSIVE MEMBERS ONLY CONTENT:

Become a FindBiometrics Member and gain easy access to specialty content, including the ID Tech column, replays of virtual events, and Identity School educational checklists:

ID TECH: What Role Will Biometrics Play in the Cyber Cold War? We’re About to Find Out [NEW]

Identity School: Facial Recognition Cheat Sheet

REPLAY: Travel & Hospitality Virtual Identity Summit

Sponsored Links

TECH5 showcase logo

TECH5 is an international technology company founded by experts from the biometrics industry, which focuses on developing disruptive biometric and digital ID solutions through the application of AI and Machine Learning technologies.

TECH5 target markets include both Government and Private sectors with products powering Civil ID, Digital ID, as well as authentication solutions that deliver identity assurance for various use cases. 

Learn more: www.tech5.ai

Onfido logo

Onfido is building the new identity standard for the internet.Our AI-based technology assesses whether a user’s government-issued ID is genuine or fraudulent, and then compares it against their facial biometrics. That’s how we give companies like Revolut, Zipcar and Bitstamp the assurance they need to onboard customers remotely and securely. Our mission is to create a more open world, where identity is the key to access.. For more information, please visit www.onfido.com

ThreatMark brings trust to the digital world by providing cutting-edge fraud prevention solutions. Major banks use ThreatMark’s AI-powered technology and behavioral biometrics to build secured banking experience to precisely verify their legitimate users, seamlessly across all digital channels. All while securing the users’ most precious assets and keeping the fraudsters away. Learn more: www.threatmark.com/

With its secunet border gears product portfolio and specialised consulting expertise, secunet supports police forces and security authorities in their sovereign tasks. Whether ABC gates, self-service kiosks or biometric middleware – each component helps to strengthen identity protection and to accelerate verification – in mobile and stationary scenarios.

Mobile ID World Logo

Mobile ID World is here to bring you the latest in mobile authentication solutions and application providers. Our company is dedicated to providing users with the best content and cutting edge information on technology, news, and mobile solutions for your mobile identity management needs.

Recent Posts

  • Design Win Marks FPC Sensors’ Evolution to Optical Under-Display Biometrics
  • Juniper Research Opens Nominations for ‘Fintech & Payments’ Disruptors
  • Pakistan to Use Biometrics in Real Estate Transactions
  • GAO Takes Government Agencies to Task for Lack of Oversight in Facial Recognition
  • UK Commissioner Surveys Police Use of Facial Recognition

Biometric Associations

IBIA and fido

Tweets

Footer

  • About Us
  • Company Directory
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Archives
  • CCPA: Do not sell my personal info.

Follow Us

Copyright © 2022 FindBiometrics