Apple Disables Clearview AI’s Enterprise Certificate
BuzzFeed (Hacker News, MacRumors):
Apple has disabled the iOS application of Clearview AI — the facial recognition company that claims to have amassed a database of billions of photos and has worked with thousands of organizations around the world — after BuzzFeed News determined that the New York–based startup had been violating the iPhone maker’s rules around app distribution.
[…]
An Apple spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the Apple Developer Enterprise Program should only be used to distribute apps within a company. Companies that violate that rule, the spokesperson said, are subject to revocation of their accounts. Clearview has 14 days to respond to Apple.
Zack Whittaker (via Matthew Panzarino):
The app allows its users — which the company claims it serves only law enforcement officers — to use their phone camera or upload a photo to search its database of 3 billion photos. But BuzzFeed News revealed that the company — which claims to only cater to law enforcement users — also includes many private-sector users, including Macy’s, Walmart and Wells Fargo.
Previously:
- How Apple’s Enterprise App Program Became the New Wild West of Mobile Apps
- Facebook Pays Teens to Install VPN That Spies on Them
