According to a statement provided to TechCrunch, the CEO of the contentious facial recognition company Clearview AI, which developed a searchable database of 30 billion photos by scraping the internet, has resigned. The outgoing CEO, Hoan Ton-That, mentioned that it was “time for the next chapter” in his life and confirmed he would continue to serve on Clearview AI’s board of directors. He did not provide further details about the reasons behind his resignation. The first report of this development appeared in Forbes.
Clearview AI has appointed two “co-CEOs,” Hal Lambert, an early investor, and Richard Schwartz, a co-founder. Through a statement to TechCrunch, the company stated that Lambert and Schwartz intend to pursue new “opportunities” under the Trump administration. Both executives have substantial histories in Republican politics, with Lambert’s investment firm, Point Bridge Capital, being noted for launching the MAGA ETF in 2017, which targets investments in companies supportive of Republican candidates. Schwartz previously worked as a senior advisor to Rudy Giuliani during his time as Mayor of New York City.
Clearview AI offers its facial recognition database to law enforcement and federal agencies for the purposes of suspect identification and locating missing persons. The company, however, has faced multiple privacy lawsuits and fines due to its acquisition of photos without individuals’ consent. As of September 2024, Clearview AI accrued over $100 million in GDPR fines from European data protection agencies, including those in the Netherlands and France. Historically, the company has been uncooperative in paying these fines and did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment on any payments made.
Additionally, Clearview AI has been involved in a legal dispute with conservative investor and self-identified investigative journalist Charles Johnson, who claimed he was a co-founder and entitled to a share of commissions. Johnson has since dropped the lawsuit, though Clearview AI’s counterclaims against him, alleging defamation and breach of contract, are still in progress, as reported by Biometric Update.
Ton-That declined to disclose details regarding his future plans, but he stated that Clearview AI is in its “strongest position ever” financially, having achieved its highest growth and revenue in 2024, despite not yet securing significant federal contracts and remaining unprofitable, as reported by Forbes.
Clearview AI, with investors including Peter Thiel and Naval Ravikant, raised $30 million in a Series B funding round in 2021, which valued the company at $130 million, according to a post on the company’s website.
