Clearview AI fined by Dutch agency for facial recognition database

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -U.S. facial recognition company Clearview AI has been fined 30.5 million euros ($33.7 million) for building what Dutch data protection watchdog DPA said on Tuesday was an illegal database.

DPA also issued an additional order, imposing a penalty of up to 5 million euros on Clearview for non-compliance.

"Clearview AI does not have a place of business in the Netherlands or the European Union, it does not have any customers in the Netherlands or the EU," Jack Mulcaire, Clearview AI's chief legal officer, told Reuters.

"(The company) does not undertake any activities that would otherwise mean it is subject to the GDPR (the EU's General Data Protection Regulation). This decision is unlawful, devoid of due process and is unenforceable."

In its statement, DPA had said Clearview had not objected to its decision and would therefore be unable to appeal against the fine.

"Facial recognition is a highly intrusive technology, that you cannot simply unleash on anyone in the world," DPA Chairman Aleid Wolfsen said in a statement, which warned that using Clearview's services was also illegal under Dutch regulations.

Ride-hailing platform Uber was fined by DPA last week for sending the personal data of European taxi drivers to the United States, in violation of EU rules.

Uber called the fine unjustified and said it was appealing.

($1 = 0.9047 euros)

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter)