Clearview AI facial recognition helps Michigan police identify scammers from out of state

The use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology by U.S. police departments continues to be controversial, but it also continues to be popular with law enforcement – in part, at least, because it works.

Services from the New York-based firm, which specializes in face biometrics for law enforcement, government agencies and the military, proved essential in shutting down a ring of alleged scammers in Pennsylvania, according to a report from Michigan’s Wood TV 8.

Police used Clearview’s 1-N facial recognition system to identify a woman who used a doctored passport to fraudulently withdraw $20,000 in funds from a Michigan bank account. The Macatawa Bank’s surveillance footage was enough to produce a match against Clearview’s biometric database, which totals over 50 billion images.

The facial identification led to the subsequent arrest of four men and two women operating in Pennsylvania, who had repeatedly targeted banks in Byron Center and Grand Rapids.

Police can use facial recognition responsibly, says Undersheriff

Local police say that, despite concerns that it acquires (or “scrapes”) its images from the public internet without user consent, Clearview’s facial recognition algorithm can be used responsibly to catch legitimate criminals.

Kent County Undersheriff Bryan Muir says the police “have to use the technologies that are available to us in a legal, ethical and appropriate way to make sure we identify these criminals that are targeting our community.”

“We have strict ethical standards, policies, procedures, retention schedules to make sure it’s only being used based on reasonable suspicion that a crime has occurred and that that type of technology is going to help us identify the criminal that may have committed that crime.”

Clearview costs the Kent County Sheriff’s Office $2,500 a year. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says it’s typically used to identify shoplifters and for other applications to fight retail theft. Becker notes that, while it now counts as a useful tool for police, “it ain’t foolproof.”

“It’s one of the things to consider,” he says, “but you’re going to need other evidence.”

De Soto County Sheriff’s Office extends contract with Clearview

Memphis police are also facial recognition fans. The Daily Memphean reports that the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office has opted to continue using Clearview AI’s biometric tech for fighting crime.

The Sheriff’s Office has been using facial recognition on a trial basis for about three months. On January 6, it joined the county’s Board of Supervisors in voting to continue the contract with Clearview.

The company continues to expand its market footprint in the U.S., netting biometrics contracts with several law enforcement agencies in 2024, even as it faces regulatory blocks (and outright hostility) elsewhere.

Last week, the Supreme Court of Canadian province British Columbia upheld an order from the privacy commissioner, which bars the company from collecting face biometrics of individuals in the province without obtaining their consent.

In September, regulators in the Netherlands hit the firm with a fine of 30 million euros (roughly US$30M) and are seeking legal action to hold Clearview’s leadership personally liable for violations of the GDPR.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  Clearview AI  |  criminal ID  |  facial recognition  |  police  |  United States