The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has continued to meet with the chief executive of Clearview AI, an organization known for its questionable artificial intelligence facial recognition software, despite police use of the technology being ruled to breach privacy laws. Australians.
As first reported by media publication Crikey, a freedom of information request revealed that the AFP has continued to communicate with Clearview AI and is in favor of the use of facial recognition technology.
Controversial AI Clearview became famous around the world when it was discovered that its face database was created by scraping billions of images of people without their consent. The tool that was created as a result is capable of identifying people by crossing these faces and presenting personal information such as name and location.
The AFP first tested the use of the technology in 2020, when Clearview AI co-founder and CEO Hoan Ton-That offered the technology to law enforcement agencies around the world.
A year later, Information and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk ruled that the technology breached Australia’s privacy law because of the way it collected information without permission and through unfair means. Additionally, the AFP was criticized for using the technology.
“Commissioner Falk found that the AFP did not complete a privacy impact assessment (PIA) before using the tool, in breach of clause 12 of the Australian Government Agencies Privacy Code, which requires a PIA for all high privacy risk projects,” the OAIC said.
“The AFP also breached Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 1.2 by failing to take reasonable steps to implement practices, procedures and systems in relation to its use of Clearview AI to ensure it complied with clause 12 of the code.”
Despite this, the AFP has maintained contacts with Ton-That. Apart from a meeting with Clearview AI last year, documents released following a freedom of information request show that meetings have continued.
Ton-That had encouraged the AFP to collaborate with an Australian academic who was working on the regulation of facial recognition technology, with the aim of once again encouraging its use.
Ton-That spoke with the then director of operations of the AFP Center to Combat Child Exploitation (ACCCE), Jon Rouse, to organize a meeting between them and the academic.
“I think it can be a positive thing to guarantee the use of FRT [facial recognition technology] by law enforcement in Australia,” Ton-That said.
“It was a pleasure meeting you in France,” Rouse responded.
“Definitely open to a call.”
Following this, Rouse invited Ton-That to appear at a meeting of police child protection units in Australia and New Zealand to “educate” them about Clearview.
“Would you be willing to have me set up a video conference where you can basically do what you did in Lyon?” Rouse asked, to which Ton-That said yes.
Ton-That presented for 30 minutes on the topic of facial recognition technology and its influence on law enforcement outcomes.
Crikey has reported that David Shoebridge, Greens senator for New South Wales, has expressed displeasure that these meetings have continued.
“The fact that AFP leaders continued to meet with the company’s CEO even after the information and privacy commissioner’s directive to stop the use of Clearview AI’s controversial technology shows how little accountability and oversight there is in this space,” Shoebridge said.
“Instead of doing its work to address issues such as foreign interference, which are having significant impacts on Australia’s diaspora communities, the AFP is collaborating with controversial companies in an attempt to normalize the use of facial recognition technology and expand its surveillance powers.
“We urgently need stronger regulations to protect Australians.”
Rouse, who has since been appointed Queensland’s acting victims commissioner, has continued to push for the use of Clearview AI.
“Imagine if we never used DNA technology to solve cases. “This technology is a similar kind of revolution in law enforcement,” he told Herald of the sun.
Rouse was speaking to the publication about the danger of AI being used to create child abuse material.
The commissioner had previously played a role in bringing down international pedophile rings and has advocated for the use of technology such as Clearview AI as a tool to help identify real victims of online child abuse.
