Facial recognition startup Clearview AI has reached a significant settlement in an Illinois lawsuit that alleged the company's extensive collection of facial images violated privacy rights. The settlement, estimated to be worth over $50 million, offers plaintiffs in the federal suit a unique arrangement to share in the company's potential value rather than a traditional monetary payout.
The case, consolidated from various lawsuits across the U.S., accused Clearview of compiling a database of faces by extracting photos from social media and other online sources, which it then sold to businesses, individuals, and government entities.
