The ruling has raised questions about the ability of European regulators to enforce data protection rules against foreign companies. Clearview has also faced enforcement actions in France, Italy, and Greece under regional data protection laws. The case highlights the challenges of regulating applications of artificial intelligence, with EU lawmakers currently working on establishing a risk-based framework for such regulation.
Key takeaways:
- Clearview AI, a US facial recognition company, has won an appeal against a privacy sanction issued by the UK's Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) last year.
- The ICO had fined Clearview around £7.5 million ($10M) for breaches of local privacy laws and ordered the company to delete information it held on UK citizens.
- The tribunal ruled that Clearview's activities fall outside the jurisdiction of UK data protection law due to an exemption related to foreign law enforcement.
- The ruling could have implications for other enforcements against Clearview under the EU’s GDPR, and highlights the challenges for European regulators in enforcing data protection rules against foreign-located firms processing local people’s data.