• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Our Services
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Top Nav Social Icons

Mobile ID World

Mobile ID World

Identification Revolution

  • Mobile ID
    • What Is Mobile ID?
    • Identity Associations
    • Premier Partners
    • FAQ
  • News
  • Solutions
    • Behavioral
    • Facial Recognition
    • Fingerprint Biometrics
    • Iris Biometrics
    • Second Factor
    • Smart Cards
    • Smartphones
    • Vital
    • Voice
    • Wearable Tech
    • Other
  • Applications
    • Access Control
    • Cloud Technology
    • Commerce
    • Enterprise
    • Healthcare
    • Identification
    • Internet of Things
    • Law Enforcement
    • Strong Online Authentication
  • Exclusive
    • Interviews
    • Featured Articles
    • Podcasts
  • Companies
  • Events

Clearview AI’s Developer Account Suspended from Apple’s App Store

March 4, 2020

Biometrics News - Clearview AI's Developer Account Suspended from Apple's App Store

Clearview AI has run afoul of yet another Silicon Valley titan. Apple has suspended Clearview’s developer account for behavior that violates the company’s App Store policy guidelines.

The suspension specifically relates to Clearview’s alleged abuse of the Apple developer program, which allows companies to share an app internally. The feature allows developers to preview and debug an app before it goes live on the App Store. However, companies are not allowed to use the developer program to distribute an app to the general public.

Clearview seems to have done exactly that. It essentially used the platform as a form of advertising, sending previews of its facial recognition system to potential customers like Immigration Customs and Enforcement and the FBI.

Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That argues that the version of the app that was distributed through the developer program cannot be used to carry out searches without a valid Clearview account, although that rationale is at least somewhat questionable. If the allegations are true, Clearview was openly using the developer program to distribute its app to external parties, largely in an effort to drive future sales. That would still seem to be a flagrant violation of Apple policies, even if the people receiving the app were not able to use it as intended.

It’s also worth noting that the Clearview app may be easier to use than Ton-That claims. Reporters have uncovered a public web page that walks people through the steps needed to gain authorization and use the app on an iPhone. Similar resources exist for desktop and Android users, thereby allowing regular citizens to take advantage of the platform. 

Clearview has 14 days to contest Apple’s decision. Ton-That says that his company is currently working with the tech giant to better comply with their terms of service, although Clearview has not had much regard for terms of service in the past. The company scraped other websites to put its database together, drawing cease and desist letters from Twitter and Google in addition to a slightly less forceful request from Facebook.    

The suspension comes shortly after the leak of Clearview’s entire client list, which revealed that many Clearview accounts belong to individual employees who acted without the knowledge of a parent organization. That makes Clearview’s alleged misuse of an enterprise development platform even more suspect, if only because many of the people using the app are not official corporate partners. 

Source: TechRadar

–

(Originally posted on FindBiometrics)

Filed Under: Industry News Tagged With: Apple, Apple App Store, Biometric, biometrics, Clearview, Clearview AI, ethical issues, face biometrics, facial recognition, privacy issues

Related News & Articles

Investor Note Points to June Launch for New Face ID iPads

iDenfy Enables Remote Onboarding for Confirmo Crypto Platform

LG Patent Filing Delves Into Automotive Biometrics

Primary Sidebar

Register For the Next Virtual Identity Summit

Register now!

Tweets

Sponsored Links

FACEPHI is a global leader in Facial Recognition technology and in Mobile Biometrics technologies. With a strong concentration in the financial sector, FacePhi's product is rapidly becoming a service used by banks all over the world. Its implementation doesn’t just save money, it is also a way to attract clients and build loyalty, while increasing the security of transactions for both the customer and the business. To learn more about FacePhi, visit https://www.facephi.com/en/

Recent Posts

  • FCC Tells Apple and Google to Get Rid of TikTok
  • Yubico Offers Subscriptions Through AWS Marketplace
  • Saskatchewan Privacy Commissioner Urges Development of Optional Digital ID
  • Wearable Authentication Company Closes $13 Million Funding Round
  • Fobi and Barnet Unveil New Digital Wallet Loyalty Solution

Footer

  • About Us
  • Company Directory
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Archives
  • CCPA: Do not sell my personal info.

Follow Us

Copyright © 2022 MobileIDWorld