Clearview AI Settles Class Action over Scraped Face Photos

If you reside or resided in the United States and have had photographs of your face posted to a publicly accessible web page on the Internet, you may be eligible to claim a portion of a class action settlement.

Clearview AI, Inc. has agreed to pay a significant amount of its equity value to settle a class action lawsuit for allegedly scraping billions of photographs of individuals’ faces from publicly accessible Internet web pages, using artificial intelligence algorithms to scan the face geometry of everyone depicted in the photographs, and then storing the collected information in a searchable Biometric Database.

Can I Claim an Award?

To be eligible for a claim, you must reside or have resided in the United States and have had photographs of your face posted to a publicly accessible web page on the Internet. If you received a notice by U.S. Mail or email, it means Clearview AI has identified you as an individual whose facial image may be stored in their Biometric Database and has a record of your address or email address.

Additionally, you may be eligible if you clicked on an advertisement on a social media or photo-sharing website or were otherwise directed to the settlement website. The settlement includes multiple classes:

• Nationwide Class: All individuals who reside or resided in the United States whose facial images and/or Biometric Data are or were contained in the Biometric Database.
• California Subclass: All individuals who reside or resided in California whose facial images and/or Biometric Data are or were contained in the Biometric Database.
• Illinois Subclass: All individuals who reside or resided in Illinois whose facial images and/or Biometric Data are or were contained in the Biometric Database.
• New York Subclass: All individuals who reside or resided in New York whose facial images and/or Biometric Data are or were contained in the Biometric Database.
• Virginia Subclass: All individuals who reside or resided in Virginia whose facial images and/or Biometric Data are or were contained in the Biometric Database.

What Awards Can Class Members Claim?

The settlement provides for the creation of a Settlement Fund based on the occurrence of various events triggering Clearview’s obligation to fund the Settlement Fund. The amount of the Settlement Fund will vary based on the triggering event:

• If Clearview files for an initial public offering (IPO), the Settlement Fund will equal 23% of Clearview’s shares of stock as of September 6, 2023, multiplied by the public offering price listed in the final prospectus for the IPO.
• If Clearview enters certain other transactions, such as a merger or sale of certain assets, the Settlement Fund will be a cash payment equal to the amount the Class would have received if it held 23% of Clearview’s share immediately prior to the transaction.
• At any time prior to September 30, 2027, if the above two events have not occurred, the Settlement Master may elect to require Clearview to fund the Settlement Fund with a cash payment equal to 17% of Clearview’s revenue from the date of Final Approval of this Settlement through the date of the cash demand.

As a Class Member, you are entitled to receive payments from the Settlement Fund if you submit a valid claim form. The amount of money remaining after payment of attorneys’ fees, costs, and representative incentives is called the “Net Settlement Fund,” which is the amount available to pay Class Members. If you submit an Approved Claim, you will be entitled to a pro rata amount of the Settlement Stake based upon each of the Classes of which you are a member:

• If you were a resident of Illinois during the applicable period, you will receive ten shares of the Net Settlement Fund.
• If you were a resident of California, New York, or Virginia, you will receive five shares of the Net Settlement Fund.
• If you were not a resident of Illinois, California, New York, or Virginia during the applicable period, you will receive one share of the Net Settlement Fund.

Is Proof Required to Claim the Reward?

No, claimants do not need to proactively provide proof they are a class member. Instead, they can claim an award by attesting they are a class member.

How to Claim Your Award

To claim your award, you can submit a Claim Form online by visiting the online claim form. Alternatively, you can mail your Claim Form to:

In re Clearview AI Settlement Administrator

P.O. Box 2409

Portland, OR 97208-2409

Submitting a Claim

To submit a claim, follow these steps:

1. Visit the online claim form.
2. Provide your full name, current U.S. Mail address, and email address.
3. Certify that one or more photographs depicting your face was posted to a publicly accessible webpage on the internet.
4. Certify that you are over the age of 18.
5. Affirm whether you resided in the United States and/or Illinois, California, New York, or Virginia for at least 183 consecutive days at any time between the date when your facial image was posted to a publicly accessible website and June 21, 2024.

How do I Get Paid?

Payments will be made to eligible Class Members whose claims were approved by the Settlement Administrator after the occurrence of one of the events listed in the settlement details. Any appeals will delay payments to Class Members.

Important Dates

• Deadline to Exclude Yourself From the Settlement: September 20, 2024
• Deadline to Submit a Claim Form: October 25, 2024
• Final Approval Hearing: January 8, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CST

When is the Clearview AI Payout Date?

The Final Approval Hearing is on January 8, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CST. If the Court approves the Settlement, eligible Class Members will receive their payments.

Why is there a Class Action Settlement?

The lawsuit claims that Clearview AI, Inc. violated provisions of privacy and computer data protection laws of various states when they collected individuals’ facial images from public websites, stored the collected data in a searchable biometric “facial recognition” database, and then sold or acquired access to that database. The Defendants deny these allegations and deny that they violated the law. The Settlement is a compromise to end the lawsuit and avoid the uncertainties and costs associated with a trial.