A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) accused Clearview AI of violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) by collecting and using biometric data (faceprints) without consent.

Specifically, Clearview AI was accused of collecting and storing biometric data (faceprints) of Illinois residents without their knowledge or consent. BIPA requires companies to obtain written consent before collecting biometric identifiers. 

The company was also accused of failing to notify Illinois residents that their biometric data was being collected and stored; selling or providing access to the collected biometric data to private companies and law enforcement agencies without consent of the individuals; and not having a publicly available written policy regarding retention and destruction of biometric data, as required by BIPA.

Besides the ACLU, plaintiffs included organisations representing vulnerable communities like survivors of domestic violence, undocumented immigrants, and sex workers.

The case was seen to set a precedent for the regulation of facial recognition technology and highlighted the importance of consent in collecting and using biometric data.