Clearview AI, a facial recognition company based in the United States, has been fined 30.5 million euros ($33.7 million) for constructing an illegal database, according to the Dutch data protection authority DPA, which announced on Tuesday
Additionally, the DPA issued an additional order that imposed a penalty of up to 5 million euros on Clearview for noncompliance.
Reuters was unable to reach the company for comment at the time. However, the DPA stated that Clearview had not objected to its decision and would, as a result, be unable to appeal the fine.
In a statement, DPA Chairman Aleid Wolfsen cautioned that using Clearview’s services is also unlawful under Dutch regulations, as facial recognition is a highly intrusive technology that cannot be unleashed on anyone.
DPA issued a sanction to Uber, a ride-hailing platform, last week for violating EU regulations by transmitting the personal data of European taxi drivers to the United States.
Uber deemed the punishment to be unjustified and argued that it was appealing.