The American company Clearview AI, which was ordered by the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) to destroy all the photos it has of Quebecers in its facial recognition software, is challenging this order in court. .
Posted at 12:30 p.m.
A motion for a stay of proceedings was filed a few days ago at the Montreal courthouse.
In its application, Clearview AI explains that the CAI’s order is “unenforceable”. “Clearview has no way of determining whether the subject of a photo is a resident of Quebec,” the company points out.
Clearview previously appealed the CAI’s order, challenging in particular the CAI’s jurisdiction in this matter as well as its interpretation of the Privacy Act.
Clearview AI operates controversial facial recognition software used by law enforcement around the world.
Clearview AI’s facial recognition algorithm can recognize faces from a bank of billions of photos that the company has gleaned without consent from social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police admitted to using the software in criminal investigations to identify suspects.
The use of the software is considered illegal in the country, since it violates certain principles of justice, in particular the obligation for the investigators to obtain warrants to obtain protected personal information.
This is why the CAI ordered Clearview AI, on December 14, to stop compiling files and collecting images without the consent of Quebecers.
With Tristan Peloquin