Austrian Privacy Group Files Criminal Complaint Against Clearview AI for GDPR Violations
Austrian privacy group noyb filed a criminal complaint against Clearview AI for allegedly collecting photos and videos of EU residents without consent to build its facial-recognition database, violating GDPR. The complaint seeks to test whether criminal enforcement can deter the company after prior administrative fines in multiple European countries failed to stop the practice.
What happened
Austrian privacy group noyb filed a criminal complaint in Austria on October 28, 2025, accusing US-based Clearview AI of illegally collecting photos and videos of European Union residents to build its facial-recognition database.
Clearview has previously been found in breach of the GDPR by regulators in France, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands, which issued nearly 100 million euros in cumulative fines. The company is contesting a 7.5-million-pound UK fine and claiming its service falls outside UK jurisdiction.
Reported impact
Austria's criminal provisions for GDPR violations could expose Clearview AI and its executives to personal liability, including potential jail time.
Noyb noted that Clearview has disregarded EU decisions, as it lacks an EU establishment and has not paid imposed fines.
Index analysis
The complaint seeks to test whether criminal enforcement can succeed where administrative penalties have struggled to deter the company.
Clearview markets its tools mainly to law enforcement and says it has collected more than 60 billion images globally.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.