This is an important regulatory enforcement move by the FTC to ensure that breaking the law (crime) doesn't pay.

A US-based cloud photo storage startup - Ever app - that used its customers' photos (without authority/consent) to develop a facial recognition offering has been ordered not just to delete photos from deactivated accounts that they accessed, but also all face embeddings (i.e. data extracted from the photos that are used for facial recognition purposes) arising from the unauthorised use of customer photos.

It must also delete any facial recognition models or algorithms developed with users’ photos or videos.

Rather than a slap on the wrist or a fine, the FTC has ruled they must destroy all gains from their unauthorised activities, thus effectively shelving their current business model until they re-start from scratch.

#monetisation #facialrecognition #regulatoryaffairs #regulatorylaw #FTC #recognition #models #algorithmdevelopment