Report finds unregulated police face recognition affects 117 million Americans
A Georgetown Law report documents that law enforcement face recognition networks include over 117 million American adults, with at least 26 states allowing searches against driver's license and ID photo databases. The report alleges that these systems are largely unregulated, lack accuracy testing, disproportionately affect African Americans, and are not audited for misuse. It calls for legislative regulation and public reporting.
- Company involved
- Various law enforcement agencies
- AI system involved
- Face recognition technology
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Durham Police uses Experian Mosaic data in HART AI risk tool
Durham Constabulary developed the Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART), a machine learning algorithm that assesses the recidivism risk of offenders. The tool uses 34 data categories including criminal history, age, gender and two types of postcode, one sourced from Experian's Mosaic marketing segmentation system. Big Brother Watch alleges that using such commercial consumer behaviour data to inform custody decisions risks prejudice and disproportionate targeting of deprived neighbourhoods. The force has stated it is refreshing the model with an aim to remove one of the postcode predictors.
- Company involved
- Durham Constabulary
- AI system involved
- Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART)
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Ukraine defence ministry uses Clearview AI facial recognition to identify dead and Russian assailants
Ukraine's defence ministry has started using Clearview AI's facial recognition technology to identify Russian assailants and the dead, according to reports. Clearview provided free access to its system, which holds over 10 billion images including from Russian social media. Critics warn that the technology could misidentify people at checkpoints and in battle, potentially harming civilians. Clearview says it should not be used as the sole source of identification.
- Company involved
- Ukraine's Ministry of Defense
- AI system involved
- Clearview AI
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google sues Chinese gang over AI-powered fraud targeting Americans
Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese cybercrime group called Outsider Enterprise, alleging it used Google's Gemini AI to create hundreds of fake websites impersonating companies and government services. The group allegedly sent millions of phishing messages to Android users, defrauding hundreds of thousands of Americans of millions of dollars. Google is coordinating with the FBI and wireless carriers to dismantle the network. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks an injunction to take down the operation.
- Company involved
- Outsider Enterprise
- AI system involved
- Gemini
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Chicago PD predictive policing program led to man being shot twice
In 2013, the Chicago Police Department's predictive policing algorithm placed Robert McDaniel on a 'heat list' as a potential shooter or shooting victim. Police visited McDaniel and warned him they would be watching him. McDaniel, who had no violent history, was later shot twice. The algorithm's prediction became a self-fulfilling prophecy, according to the article.
- Company involved
- Chicago Police Department
- AI system involved
- heat list
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ACLU test finds Rekognition falsely matches 27 New England athletes to mugshots
The ACLU of Massachusetts conducted a test using Amazon's Rekognition facial recognition technology, comparing headshots of 188 New England professional athletes to a database of 20,000 arrest photos. The software falsely matched 27 athletes, including Patriots safety Duron Harmon. The ACLU is calling for a moratorium on government use of face surveillance technology.
- Company involved
- ACLU of Massachusetts
- AI system involved
- Rekognition
8 source articles · read the reporting →
U.S. Border Patrol uses AI and ALPR to target drivers for pretext stops and asset seizures
The U.S. Border Patrol has built a nationwide dragnet driver-surveillance system using automated license plate readers and AI to flag suspicious travel patterns. Local police then pull over targeted drivers on pretexts, interrogate them, and seize cash and vehicles through civil asset forfeiture. The program has been kept secret, with details hidden from court documents and the public. The ACLU report highlights the abuse of innocent drivers and calls for congressional action.
- Company involved
- U.S. Border Patrol (CBP)
- AI system involved
- Automated license plate reader (ALPR) system with AI analytics
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Suspended ACSO investigator arraigned for alleged Flock camera misuse - NEWS10 ABC
Unauthorized access to license plate data of ex-girlfriend and four other individuals
- Company involved
- Flock
- AI system involved
- Flock
1 source article · read the reporting →
Swedish police fined for unlawful use of Clearview AI facial recognition
Sweden's data protection authority IMY fined the Swedish Police Authority €250,000 for unlawfully using Clearview AI's facial-recognition app. The police used the app between autumn 2019 and March 2020 without authorisation or a required data protection impact assessment. The IMY ordered the police to ensure Clearview AI deletes the data and to train employees to avoid future breaches.
- Company involved
- Swedish Police Authority
- AI system involved
- Clearview AI
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Cense exposed 2.5 million records of auto accident victims online
On July 7, 2020, a security researcher discovered 2.5 million records containing personal and medical data of auto accident victims exposed online. The records, belonging to New York-based AI company Cense, included names, insurance policy numbers, claim numbers, and medical diagnosis notes. The data was labeled as staging data, possibly intended for temporary storage before being loaded into an AI system. After the researcher sent a responsible disclosure notice, Cense restricted public access to the database.
- Company involved
- Cense
- AI system involved
- Cense
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Clearview AI tested facial recognition surveillance cameras with UFT and Rudin
Clearview AI, the facial recognition company that scraped billions of photos from social media, developed a surveillance camera system under the name Insight Camera. The system was tested by the United Federation of Teachers and Rudin Management in New York City. The UFT used it to identify individuals who had made threats and prevent them from entering its offices. Clearview did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- Clearview AI
- AI system involved
- Insight Camera
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Clearview AI to pull out of Canada and stop working with RCMP amid privacy investigation
Clearview AI, the US facial recognition company, has agreed to stop offering its services in Canada amid a joint investigation by Canadian privacy regulators. The company's technology, which matches images against billions of photos scraped from the internet, was used by the RCMP and more than 20 other police services across Canada. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced the 'indefinite suspension' of Clearview's contract with the RCMP, its last remaining Canadian client. The investigation into whether the technology breaches Canadian privacy laws will continue.
- Company involved
- Clearview AI
- AI system involved
- Clearview AI
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Virginia crime lab faces first challenge to secret DNA algorithm
A defendant in an armed-robbery case in Fairfax County is challenging a secret algorithm used by the Virginia crime lab to interpret DNA evidence. The lab could not make a conventional match because skin-cell DNA on the victim's shirt was mixed with DNA from too many people; the algorithm identified the defendant as a contributor. The defendant is seeking to scrutinise the algorithm, reportedly for the first time.
- Company involved
- Virginia crime lab
10 source articles · read the reporting →
EPIC lawsuit challenges USPS secret surveillance program using facial recognition
The United States Postal Service's law enforcement wing, the Postal Inspection Service, ran a secret surveillance program called the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) that used facial recognition from Clearview AI and social media monitoring tools to infiltrate online communities and monitor protests. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) sued the USPS for failing to conduct and publish a privacy impact assessment as required by the E-Government Act. A federal district court dismissed the lawsuit on standing grounds, ruling that EPIC did not suffer a cognizable injury from the agency's refusal to disclose information about the program.
- Company involved
- United States Postal Service
- AI system involved
- Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
FTC settles with IntelliVision over deceptive facial recognition claims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against IntelliVision Technologies Corp. for making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims about its AI-powered facial recognition software. The company allegedly claimed its software had one of the highest accuracy rates on the market and was free of gender or racial bias, without supporting evidence. The FTC also alleged that IntelliVision did not train its software on millions of faces as claimed, but on images of approximately 100,000 individuals. Under a proposed consent order, IntelliVision is prohibited from making such misrepresentations without competent and reliable testing.
- Company involved
- IntelliVision Technologies Corp.
- AI system involved
- IntelliVision facial recognition software
9 source articles · read the reporting →
St. Louis police arrest man after facial recognition match without corroboration
Christopher Gatlin was arrested and jailed for an assault on a security guard after police used facial recognition software to identify him from a blurry surveillance image. The lead detective built a case against Gatlin despite the city's policy that AI results are nonscientific and should not be the sole basis for a decision. A witness was steered by officers to select Gatlin from a photo lineup, and the case was later dismissed after more than two years. Gatlin alleges wrongful arrest and has filed a lawsuit.
- Company involved
- St. Louis County Police Department
- AI system involved
- Unnamed facial recognition program
4 source articles · read the reporting →
DeepSeek exposed user data via open ClickHouse database
Cloud security firm Wiz discovered a ClickHouse database belonging to DeepSeek that was open to the internet without authentication, containing over a million lines of logs with chat histories, secret keys and backend details. Wiz disclosed the breach to DeepSeek, which promptly locked down the database. The incident highlights security risks in rapidly deploying AI services.
- Company involved
- DeepSeek
- AI system involved
- DeepSeek-R1
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Bavarian police test Palantir data mining with real personal data
The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) has been testing Palantir's data mining software, called VeRa, with real personal data for months. The Bavarian data protection commissioner only learned of the test through a media inquiry and has announced a review. The Interior Ministry claims the test is lawful under current law, but critics argue a legal basis is missing.
- Company involved
- Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt
- AI system involved
- VeRa
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Met Police accessed PimEyes facial recognition site 2,000 times
The Metropolitan Police accessed the controversial facial recognition search engine PimEyes over 2,000 times from its computers in the first three months of 2024. The force stated that the hits did not necessarily mean searches were conducted, but after being alerted by i and Liberty Investigates, it blocked access to the site and strengthened safeguards. Privacy campaigners and MPs have raised concerns that the unregulated tool could be used for stalking and surveillance.
- Company involved
- Metropolitan Police Service
- AI system involved
- PimEyes
3 source articles · read the reporting →
NBI raids Makati love scam facility using AI-generated fake female profiles
The National Bureau of Investigation raided a Makati condominium believed to be a love-scam facility, arresting about 100 suspects. The scammers used AI-generated conversations and fake profile pictures of women to trick victims into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Singaporean actor Laurence Pang said he lost S$35,000 after being deceived by such a scheme via the dating site PinaLove in late 2024; the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group confirmed he was a victim. The NBI continues to interrogate a Chinese national said to be the supervisor.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Queensland police trial AI to predict domestic violence risk
The Queensland Police Service is trialling an AI risk-assessment tool to identify high-risk domestic violence offenders from police records. Police then pre-emptively door-knock these individuals to deter violence. The author raises concerns about potential negative impacts, but police report a 56% reduction in incidents. The AI was developed in-house to increase transparency.
- Company involved
- Queensland Police Service
9 source articles · read the reporting →
OpenDream AI art site allowed users to generate child sexual abuse material
OpenDream, an AI image generation platform, allowed users to generate and publicly display child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual deepfakes from at least December 2023 until July 2024. The platform, operated by CBM Media Pte Ltd in Singapore, offered paid plans with NSFW prompts and models. Bellingcat reported the site to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. After Bellingcat's inquiry, the CSAM was removed from the site and search engines, and Google terminated OpenDream's AdSense account.
- Company involved
- CBM Media Pte Ltd
- AI system involved
- OpenDream
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Outabox hack exposes biometric data of patrons at bars, clubs and casinos
Hackers claiming to be former employees published a website allowing searches of Outabox's facial recognition database, exposing biometric and other sensitive data of patrons used for age verification at bars, clubs and casinos. The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project warns that the breach demonstrates the danger of facial recognition for age verification. S.T.O.P. has launched a campaign to ban facial recognition in public accommodations.
- Company involved
- Outabox
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Vumacam's AI CCTV system flagged 28 black people as suspicious in Johannesburg suburbs
In Johannesburg suburbs, Vumacam's AI-powered CCTV network using iSentry software flagged 28 black individuals as 'suspicious' in a shift report, according to a 2019 article. The system, deployed by private security firms, uses video analytics to detect abnormal behavior and alerts security guards. The article alleges that the system disproportionately targets people of color, reflecting racial bias in a racially divided country.
- Company involved
- Vumacam
- AI system involved
- iSentry
6 source articles · read the reporting →
