Ton-That of Clearview sued for breach of contract

Face-scraper Clearview AI is in court again, but this time not because someone objects its business model. An archconservative repeatedly photographed displaying a “white power” hand signal says Clearview‘s owners broke a contract with him.

The defendants in case 1:2023cv02441 are Hoan Ton-That, Richard Schwartz and Clearview. They are accused in New York Southern District Court of violating a wind-down agreement involving SmartCheckr, the firm from which Clearview grew.

Complainant Charles Johnson, who claims he is a co-founder of facial recognition startup Clearview, argues he is owed $76,000. He allegedly was promised commissions for sales introductions from Ton-That and Schwartz to potential new customers.

“This lawsuit is without merit and we will defend against these baseless claims,” said Clearview’s representative, Collin Vierra of Eimer Stahl, in an emailed statement.

The case was filed March 22, and the next scheduled action is a June 7 pre-trial conference before Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

Lawsuits like this one are common among startups. What is more noteworthy is that it seems to feed into accusations that Clearview was created and funded by personalities known for extreme social and political views.

Article Topics

Clearview AI  |  facial recognition  |  Hoan Ton That  |  lawsuits  |  startup