Clearview AI has billions of our photos. All your client list was stolen

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Facial recognition software tests the law 6:42

(CNN Business) - Clearview AI, a startup that collects billions of photos for facial recognition technology, says it lost its entire customer list due to hackers.

The company said it fixed the unspecified fault that allowed the infiltration to occur.

In a statement, Clearview AI's lawyer, Tor Ekeland, said that although security is the company's top priority, "unfortunately, data breaches are part of life, but our servers never accessed." He added that the company continues to strengthen its security procedures and that the fault was repaired.

Clearview AI continues to "work to strengthen our security," Ekeland said.

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In a notification sent to customers and obtained by Daily Beast, Clearview AI notes that an intruder "obtained unauthorized access" to his client list, which includes police forces, agencies and banks. The company said the person did not obtain any search history conducted by clients, which includes some police forces.

The company claims to have obtained more than 3,000 million photos from the internet, including photos from popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

The firm generated controversy in January after a New York Times investigation revealed that Clearview AI technology allowed law enforcement agencies to use their technology to match photos of unknown faces to people's online images. The company also retains those photos in its database even after Internet users delete them from the platforms or make their accounts private.

That provoked letters of cessation and withdrawal of technological giants Twitter, Google and Facebook. Some states, such as New Jersey, even enacted a state ban on law enforcement agencies that use Clearview while researching the software.

In an interview with CNN Business earlier this month, the founder and CEO of Clearview AI, Hoan Ton-That, minimized concerns about his technology. He said he wants to build a "great American company" with "the best intentions." He said he would not sell his product to Iran, Russia or China and said that technology is saving children and solving crimes. ”

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Donnie O'Sullivan of CNN Business contributed to this report.

Clearview AI