Clearview Sued By Right Wing Activist, Disputed Cofounder
Clearview AI, its CEO Hoan Ton-That and President Richard Schwartz were sued by right-wing activist Charles Johnson over allegations that they pushed him out of the company, which he claims he co-founded, and failed to pay him promised sales commissions.
Johnson has been described by the New York Times, HuffPost, and Buzzfeed as playing a pivotal role in the early stages of the facial recognition company, although Ton-That has firmly denied he was a co-founder.
In this note, we examine the allegations in Johnson's complaint, the controversy over his connection to the company, and Clearview AI's current challenges.
Breach ** ********
***** *********, ***** ***** **, ****, ** New **** ******* *****, ******* ******* that ********* ** *** *** ********** materially ******** * "****-**** *********," ***** ***** *** "******* ****** to ******** *** ****** *** ****** of * ****** *********** ******* **** was **-******* ** ******* *** *** Individual ********** **** * *** ******* called ********* **."
******* *** *********, *******'* ***** ** the ******* *******, ****** *********** ***, was "*********** **********" **** ***** * third ** **%, ********* ** *** complaint. ** ********, *** ***** ******* allegedly ******** ******* ** ***** ******* 10% *********** ** ***** ******* *** Clearview ** **** ** ******* ** new *********.
******* ******* **** *** ********* ** executives ********** *** ****-**** ********* "** bad *****" *** ***** **** *** commissions. **** **** "***** ******** ********** Johnson *** ****** *** *********** ** founding *** ********** ********* **."
Right-Wing "*****"
*******, * *****-**** ********** *** ****** who *** ******* ************, *** *****, *** *** ***** Caller, ******* *** *****-***** ***-***** ******* GotNews.com, ******** * ************* ********* ********** ********, **************, ********* **********. *** ******* ***** *** *********** bankruptcy ** ****.
***** *** ***** * "*****" ** social *****, ** ********* **** ******* ** *** ********* ** **** * ***** ****** followers ** **** *** "**** ***" a ***** ***** ****** ********.
******* **** *** **** ** ***** Thiel ************* ********** ******* ****** ******* ********** **** he ****** ** ****** ********* ****** Trump's ********** ****. ** *** **** appeared ** **** *****' ***-***** ******** Infowars.
Creating ***********
** *** *********, ******* ******* ** approached ***-**** **** *** **** ** building * ****** *********** ********** ******* in *** ****. ** ******* ** also ********** ***-**** ** ********, *** that *** ********* ******** **** ******** SmartCheckr **** **** ** *** ******** having * **.*% *****.
******** ** *** **** * "************ informant *** *** ***," ******* **** he "******** *********** ***** ** *********** through *** ************* **** *** ************ committee *** *** ***********."
****** **** ******, ******* ***** ****** and ****** * *** **** ** creating ***********. ******* ********* **************** ** a **-*******, ********* *** *** ******* to, ******* ***** *** *** **********, recruiting ******, *** ****** *** ****** and ********** *********.
******* ******* ** **** ********** ****** who ****** ********* *** ***** ******* to ***-****, *** "******** ******* ******* from ********* ** ***** ** ***** the *******'* **********."
Rise ** ********* **
** ****, ******* ******* **** ***-**** and ******** **** ****** ** **** him *** ** *** ********. ********* to *** *********:
*** ********** ********** — ******* ********** Johnson — ******* ** **** **** SmartCheckr *** ******** *** ****** *** shares ** * *** ******* ****** Clearview **.
** *** *******, *** ********** ********** tried ** ********** ******* ******* **** business ******** ** ********** ** *** out *******'* ****** ********* ** ***********. These ******** ****** **** ***** ******* threatened **********.
*** ******* ****** *** ****-**** ********* in ******** ****, *** ******* ***** "significant ****** ** ********** ********* ** with ******** ********* ********* ********** ** Clearview **'* ******** *** ********," ********* to *** *********.
*******, *** ***** ********** "*** ** interest ** ******** *** ** *******'* introductions" *** "****** ** ******** ********** from ******* **********." ** **** ******* that ** *** ****** *** ************* did ****** ** *********, ** *** removed **** *** *******, "********* *** ability ** ******* *** ************* ******-**** Sales *********** **********."
Controversy *** **********
**** ******* *******, ********* ** ********* controversy **** *******-******* ********. *** ******* says ** *** * ******** ** over ** ******* ******, **** ** which **** ********* **** *** ********. The ******* *** **** *** **** over $** ******* ** ***** *** sanctioned *** *** ********* ** ****** and *********.
** *** ****, *** ******* **** reached * ********** ** * ******* lawsuit ******* ** *** *.*. ** the ******** ***** ********* *****, ** which ** ****** ** **** ******* access ** *** ******** ** ******* companies.
** ******** ******* ******* *** ***********, ******, **** **** than *,*** ****** ********* ** *** U.S., ********* *** *** *** ********** of ******** ********, ** ** ***** 2022.
**** ***-**** ** ***** ****, *** company **** ***** **% ** *** staff ** "**** *** ******* ** a ****-******** ******** ***********,"***-**** **** ****. *** *******'* ********* *** ***** remained **** ** **, ********* **********.
"Never *** *** ****** ***********"
***** *** ******* *********** ** **** post, ** ******** *** ********* **,****** ******** ***** *****, **** ****: “**** lawsuit ** ******* ***** *** ** will ****** ******* ***** ******** ******.”
**********, ***-******** *** ********** *********** *** *** * ********* ** the ******* *** *** *** **** "active ***********" ** **.
"*****'* ** ********* ********** ** *********," Ton-That **** ** *** ***** *********. Johnson *** "******* ** *** ** 2016 *** **** **** *************, *** he's *** * ********* ** *********. He's ***** **** ** ********, ********, or ** *** *****, *** [**'*] never *** *** ****** *********** ** the *******," ***-**** ****.
Unspecified *******
** *** *******, ******* ***** "*** compensatory *** ************* ******* ** ** amount ** ** ********** ** *****, as **** ** *** ***** ********** or ***** *********** ********* ******."
***'*. **'* ********* ** ********** ***** and ******** ** *** ******** *********.
**** ** ******, ***** ****** ** bodily ****** *** **********.
***** ** ***** ********** ***** ******* Rumors *** ****?
*** ***** ***'* ** *** ****** are ****, **'* **** ********** ***** this ****, **** ** ***, ** gross *** *****, **** **'* *** denying *** ********* ** ******** ** with ***** ****** *** **********. ** excels ** ************.
**** **** ***** ** **** ******, famously **** **** ******** **** **** $ **** ***** *****, ** * strange ***********. ** ***. ******* ** a **** **** ****** ***** ****** on ****** ** ******* * *** $ ** ***** ***. **** ******** realized **** *** **'* * ********* and ***** ** *** *** *** from ******** **** ******* ** *** tying **** ********.
*** **** ***** ** ******* ********** funding **** **** *** ** *********** exploited ** ******* ****.
******: ***** *** ******* *********** ** this ****, ** ******** *** ********* AI,****** ******** ***** *****, **** ****: “**** lawsuit ** ******* ***** *** ** will ****** ******* ***** ******** ******.”
********* ** * ******* ****** ** legislated *** ** *********. **** ********* the ***** ** ****** ***********. *** anyone **** ***** ** ** ********, this ******* ******* ****** ***** *** pictures **, **** ********* *** ****** those ******** *** *** ** * facial *********** ******** **** **** **** to *** ** * *******. ****'** making ***** *** **** **** ******* asking, ******* ** ******. **'* ** no ******** **** **** *** ******* of ** ***** *******.
*** ******* ****** ** ****. ********** of *** *****, ** *** ******* skewed *** * *** *** **** disregard ******** **** *** ****. * am ******* **** * *** ** read ** ** ****.
** ***** ****** ** **** *** the **** *****.