Apple has banned Clearview AI’s controversial facial recognition app for violating its policies.
The app allows its users to search its database of three billion photos, and has now been removed after the company violated the terms of Apple’s enterprise developer program.
Clearview AI was letting its users download its software outside of the App Store through its enterprise certificate, which is against Apple’s policies. Apple limits its certificate access to users within a company, not members of the public.
A spokesperson from the company told TechCrunch that Clearview AI is “in contact with Apple and working on complying with their terms and conditions.”
Clearview AI has claimed that its platform is only for law enforcement, but Buzzfeed News has revealed that the facial recognition technology is used by many private companies including Walmart.
This comes after the company revealed that hackers stole its entire client list. Among Clearview AI’s clients are numerous police departments across Canada, including the RCMP.
Controversy around the company began when the New York Times revealed that numerous police services in North America were using the facial recognition technology.
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada and several provincial commissioners have opened up an investigation into the technology.
Source: TechCrunch
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