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Clearview AI
Clearview AI, Inc. is an American facial recognition company, providing software primarily to law enforcement and other government agencies. The company's algorithm matches faces to a database of more than 20 billion images collected from the Internet, including social media applications. Founded by Hoan Ton-That, Charles C. Johnson, and Richard Schwartz, the company maintained a low profile until late 2019, when its usage by law enforcement was first reported.
Use of the facial recognition tool has been controversial. Several U.S. senators have expressed concern about privacy rights and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued the company for violating privacy laws on several occasions. U.S. police have used the software to apprehend suspected criminals. Clearview's practices have led to fines and bans by EU nations for violating privacy laws, and investigations in the U.S. and other countries. In 2022, Clearview reached a settlement with the ACLU, in which they agreed to restrict U.S. market sales of facial recognition services to government entities.
In 2020, a data breach of Clearview AI demonstrated 2,200 organizations in 27 countries had accounts with facial recognition searches. In 2025, they signed a $9.2 million contract with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In February 2026, Clearview AI signed a one-year $225k contract with United States Customs and Border Protection.
Clearview AI was founded in 2017 by Hoan Ton-That and Richard Schwartz after transferring the assets of another company, SmartCheckr, which the pair originally founded in 2017 alongside Charles C. Johnson. The company was founded in Manhattan after the founders met at the Manhattan Institute. The company initially raised $8.4 million from investors including Kirenaga Partners and Peter Thiel. Additional fundraising, in 2020, collected $8.625 million in exchange for equity. The company did not disclose investors in the second round. In 2021, another fundraising round received $30 million. Early use of Clearview's app was given to potential investors in their Series A fundraising round. Billionaire John Catsimatidis used it to identify someone his daughter dated and piloted it at one of his Gristedes grocery markets in New York City to identify shoplifters.
In October 2020, a company spokesperson claimed that Clearview AI's valuation was more than $100 million. The company announced its first chief strategy officer, chief revenue officer, and chief marketing officer in May 2021. Devesh Ashra, a former deputy assistant secretary with the United States Department of the Treasury, became its chief strategy officer. Chris Metaxas, a former executive at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, became its chief revenue officer. Susan Crandall, a former marketing executive at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Motorola Solutions, became its chief marketing officer. Devesh Ashra and Chris Metaxas left the company in 2021.
In August 2021, Clearview AI announced the formation of an advisory board including Raymond Kelly, Richard A. Clarke, Rudy Washington, Floyd Abrams, Lee S. Wolosky, and Owen West. The company claimed to have scraped more than 10 billion images as of October 2021. In May 2022, Clearview AI announced that it would be expanding sales of its facial recognition software to schools and lending platforms outside the U.S.
Clearview AI hired a notable legal team to defend the company against several lawsuits that threatened their business model. Their legal staff includes Tor Ekeland, Lee S. Wolosky, Paul Clement, Floyd Abrams, and Jack Mulcaire. Abrams stated the issue of privacy rights versus free speech in the First Amendment could reach the Supreme Court.
On February 19, 2025, following the resignation of Ton-That in December 2024, Clearview AI appointed Hal Lambert and Richard Swartz as CEOs. Lambert and Swartz were early investors in the company. Lambert previously did fundraising for the Trump presidential campaigns. In a separate statement Ton-That said he would remain a board member.
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Clearview AI
Clearview AI, Inc. is an American facial recognition company, providing software primarily to law enforcement and other government agencies. The company's algorithm matches faces to a database of more than 20 billion images collected from the Internet, including social media applications. Founded by Hoan Ton-That, Charles C. Johnson, and Richard Schwartz, the company maintained a low profile until late 2019, when its usage by law enforcement was first reported.
Use of the facial recognition tool has been controversial. Several U.S. senators have expressed concern about privacy rights and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued the company for violating privacy laws on several occasions. U.S. police have used the software to apprehend suspected criminals. Clearview's practices have led to fines and bans by EU nations for violating privacy laws, and investigations in the U.S. and other countries. In 2022, Clearview reached a settlement with the ACLU, in which they agreed to restrict U.S. market sales of facial recognition services to government entities.
In 2020, a data breach of Clearview AI demonstrated 2,200 organizations in 27 countries had accounts with facial recognition searches. In 2025, they signed a $9.2 million contract with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In February 2026, Clearview AI signed a one-year $225k contract with United States Customs and Border Protection.
Clearview AI was founded in 2017 by Hoan Ton-That and Richard Schwartz after transferring the assets of another company, SmartCheckr, which the pair originally founded in 2017 alongside Charles C. Johnson. The company was founded in Manhattan after the founders met at the Manhattan Institute. The company initially raised $8.4 million from investors including Kirenaga Partners and Peter Thiel. Additional fundraising, in 2020, collected $8.625 million in exchange for equity. The company did not disclose investors in the second round. In 2021, another fundraising round received $30 million. Early use of Clearview's app was given to potential investors in their Series A fundraising round. Billionaire John Catsimatidis used it to identify someone his daughter dated and piloted it at one of his Gristedes grocery markets in New York City to identify shoplifters.
In October 2020, a company spokesperson claimed that Clearview AI's valuation was more than $100 million. The company announced its first chief strategy officer, chief revenue officer, and chief marketing officer in May 2021. Devesh Ashra, a former deputy assistant secretary with the United States Department of the Treasury, became its chief strategy officer. Chris Metaxas, a former executive at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, became its chief revenue officer. Susan Crandall, a former marketing executive at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Motorola Solutions, became its chief marketing officer. Devesh Ashra and Chris Metaxas left the company in 2021.
In August 2021, Clearview AI announced the formation of an advisory board including Raymond Kelly, Richard A. Clarke, Rudy Washington, Floyd Abrams, Lee S. Wolosky, and Owen West. The company claimed to have scraped more than 10 billion images as of October 2021. In May 2022, Clearview AI announced that it would be expanding sales of its facial recognition software to schools and lending platforms outside the U.S.
Clearview AI hired a notable legal team to defend the company against several lawsuits that threatened their business model. Their legal staff includes Tor Ekeland, Lee S. Wolosky, Paul Clement, Floyd Abrams, and Jack Mulcaire. Abrams stated the issue of privacy rights versus free speech in the First Amendment could reach the Supreme Court.
On February 19, 2025, following the resignation of Ton-That in December 2024, Clearview AI appointed Hal Lambert and Richard Swartz as CEOs. Lambert and Swartz were early investors in the company. Lambert previously did fundraising for the Trump presidential campaigns. In a separate statement Ton-That said he would remain a board member.