Swedish police illegally used Clearview AI

The Swedish Police Authority was fined EUR 248,218 (2.5 million Swedish kronor) for unlawfully using the facial recognition app Clearview AI. 

The Swedish Data Protection Authority (IMY) found that the police authority had been using the app intermittently without authorisation between autumn 2019 and March 2020 to identify victims and perpetrators in investigations, particularly for sexual offenses against children and organised crime.

The regulator ruled that the police unlawfully processed biometric data for facial recognition, failed to ensure compliance with the country's Criminal Data Act, and had not conducted a mandatory data protection impact assessment (DPIA). 

In addition to the fine, the police were ordered to implement further training and organisational measures, inform affected data subjects when confidentiality rules allow, and delete all data from the Clearview AI app.