vox--2020-03-06--The world’s scariest facial recognition app company keeps lying

How would you like it if anyone armed with an iPhone could figure out a slew of information about you , pull up any Facebook or Instagram picture you ’ ve ever been in , and see any other image of you that ’ s been posted publicly online ?
This scenario appears to be possible thanks to a shady startup called Clearview AI which , as a New York Times investigation earlier this year revealed , has been mining your pictures online to build a vast facial recognition database .
At first , Clearview AI maintained that its tool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement and a few private companies .
But it later became clear that the company has consistently misrepresented both the extent of its work and the breadth of its aspirations .
This is concerning .
Facial recognition is an incredibly powerful tool , and Clearview ’ s tech is trafficking in highly personal information — including , potentially , yours .
( If you ’ re a resident of California or the European Union , feel free to request the data Clearview has on you here , but note you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government-issued photo ID . )
Reporting from BuzzFeed News shows that the company had a client list that went far beyond law enforcement and included the NBA , Best Buy , and Macy ’ s .
Now some of these companies are distancing themselves from the facial recognition startup .
Clearview exaggerated the role its technology has played in assisting law enforcement in their investigations while also telling Recode that it had only arranged contracts for its technology with customers in the United States and Canada .
Documents identified by BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology to users in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , including to clients with ties to those countries ’ governments .
And , just this week , we learned from a New York Times report that Clearview AI ’ s leaders had even offered up its tech for those connected with the company to try , and that one billionaire used the software to identify a man who was dating his daughter .
The controversy surrounding Clearview has since prompted a probe from US senators .
The very existence of facial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of debate .
Law enforcement has been using facial recognition for several years now , and companies , schools , and other organizations are increasingly making use of the AI-powered software .
But Clearview ’ s technology represents a frightening step toward an all-powerful system that the world hasn ’ t seen before .
The secretive company says it has created a database of more than 3 billion images that have been scraped from all corners of the internet , including social networks like Facebook , Instagram , and YouTube .
From just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims its app lets someone using the tech identify a face and match it with publicly available information about the person , all within just a few seconds .
Meanwhile , OneZero revealed that Clearview AI had also sought to supplement its database of web-scraped photos with mug shots , though it ’ s not clear whether the company was successful .
Do we want to live in a world where this technology exists ?
Clearview argues that the tech can help track down dangerous people , and its site points to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And as the Times reported in February , the company ’ s facial recognition has helped identify child victims in exploitative videos posted to the web .
But clearly the tech can be used for a lot more than that .
And critics say facial recognition is way too risky , enabling excessive surveillance and threatening our privacy rights .
Another concern is that the technology , broadly , has also been shown to be less accurate on people of color , women , and other minority groups .
Faced with these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech companies have stepped up and , sent cease-and-desist letters to Clearview that order the company to stop scraping their sites for our data .
But it ’ s not clear how much good that will do , or how invested they actually are in protecting our personal information .
While some lawsuits against Clearview are also popping up , it ’ s not yet apparent how Clearview could be stopped .
That has privacy advocates pointing to the need for a federal law regulating , or even outright banning , facial recognition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t new .
But this huge database of faces is .
So here ’ s how Clearview ’ s tool works .
Say you have an image of a person , but you don ’ t know their name .
You could input that photo into Clearview ’ s app , and it will turn up any image of the person that it had scraped from the internet , as well as links to websites from which those images came .
That could be a good amount of information .
Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 3 billion images taken from around the web .
That ’ s much more than what law enforcement agencies typically have access to .
The Times reports that the technology will work with images of faces from many different angles , while older facial recognition tools used by police departments might require the subject to be looking straight ahead , like in a mug shot .
That means images from social media posts on platforms like Instagram could pop up — even images that are no longer , but once were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind : The tool doesn ’ t just surface pictures that you ’ ve taken and posted online .
It will also turn up any photos posted of you , even those posted without your consent or knowledge .
“ Clearview is a search engine for publicly available images , ” Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That told Recode in an email .
“ We do not and can not index any images that are private or protected , such as those in a private Instagram account .
A previously public image may or may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time it was public and that would depend on the individual case.
” Clearview decides who can — and can ’ t — use this tool More than 600 law enforcement agencies have used Clearview AI in the past year , as have federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) and the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) , according to the Times .
The FBI would not confirm to Recode that it had used Clearview ’ s tool , instead pointing to its testimony last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadly .
The DHS has not responded to Recode ’ s request for comment .
Recent reporting suggests that the tool was offered to a wide variety of companies for security , though Ton-That wouldn ’ t tell Recode which ones .
It ’ s also unclear if Clearview has any internal limitations regarding who can get access to its technology , though we now know not to expect to company to be upfront with the public .
For instance , Ton-That told the Times earlier this year , “ If it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just governed terribly , or whatever , I don ’ t know if we ’ d feel comfortable , you know , selling to certain countries.
” But as other reporting indicates , the company does feel comfortable selling this technology to clients in countries with concerning records on civil liberties and human rights , and BuzzFeed recently reported that the technology had been offered to users in Saudi Arabia and the UAE .
Meanwhile , Clearview had claimed to Recode previously that it does not have contracts outside the US and Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national police service in Canada , told Recode that it does not comment on specific investigative tools but that it researches emerging technologies ) .
The use of this tool by law enforcement alone raises questions , however .
Imagine , for instance , the ethical problems at play with a police officer using Clearview to identify a protester .
Or , say the facial recognition doesn ’ t work as it should and a false “ match ” ultimately leads to arresting someone for a crime they didn ’ t commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clearview ’ s technology could one day be made available to just about anyone .
Such a development could destroy our expectation of being anonymous in public .
It ’ s not difficult to imagine terrifying uses of this , and we already have a hint , given how associates of Clearview AI have already made use of the tool .
But imagine if a nude picture of you was , at some point in time , posted online .
With the snap of a phone camera , it ’ s possible that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image .
Or imagine you ’ re walking down the street , and someone decides they want to know where you live and whether you had kids .
All they might need is the Clearview app .
The scope of Clearview ’ s threat to privacy remains unclear .
The Times has reported : “ Police officers and Clearview ’ s investors predict that its app will eventually be available to the public.
” Unsurprisingly , that was different from what Ton-That told Recode .
“ Our strict commitment at this time and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been not to make this tool available to the general public , ” Ton-That said in an email to Recode .
“ Our mission is to reduce crime , fraud , and abuse using our powerful new technology .
Any abuse of our technology would be in total violation of our mission and values.
” There are many good reasons not to trust this company Clearview ’ s past has raised alarm bells .
For one thing , CEO Hoan Ton-That ’ s previous ventures included an app that added Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s also been linked to a phishing site .
At one point , the company tried to sell a database for “ extreme opposition research ” to Paul Nehlen , a white supremacist and anti-Semite , who was running for Congress at the time , according to the Times .
One investor in the company is Peter Thiel , who helped found PayPay and Palantir and has vocally supported President Trump .
The company hasn ’ t been exactly forthright in its advertising claims , either .
For instance , BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clearview claimed a certain law enforcement agency was “ using ” its product , when in fact the agency had simply received a tip from the company .
Clearview also appears to be claiming that hundreds of police departments were working with them when some of those police departments only signed up for a trial , according to BuzzFeed News .
Ton-That told Recode , “ Our calculations are based on the number of agencies that are actively using Clearview ’ s technology to help solve crimes.
” It ’ s not quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to marketing materials obtained by BuzzFeed News , Clearview claimed to have “ accuracy finding a match out of 1 million faces ” 98.6 percent of the time .
At the same time , Clearview told the New York Times that the tool produces a match up to 75 percent of the time , although we don ’ t know how many of those are “ true ” matches .
Ton-That also told the Times that one difficulty for Clearview ’ s algorithms is that photos scraped from the web were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same angle typically captured by surveillance cameras .
The company had also said that it had checked the accuracy of its tool using a methodology from the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) , an assertion the organization has pushed strongly back against .
The claim has since been removed from Clearview ’ s site , though the company still says that its tool was reviewed and certified by an “ independent panel of experts.
” ( Recode asked Clearview who those experts were , but we never heard back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the director of the National Institute of Standard and Technology ’ s Image group , told Recode that Clearview had not volunteered to participate in its facial recognition vendor testing program , and there were no plans to evaluate its algorithms .
At the same time , Clearview AI also appears to be developing surveillance cameras , according to Buzzfeed News .
Tech companies are fighting back , but that might not be enough Major internet platforms have responded to Clearview by sending the company cease-and-desist letters .
These companies now include LinkedIn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google , and YouTube .
It ’ s worth noting that Twitter explicitly bans using its platform for the purpose of facial recognition .
Meanwhile , Pinterest told Recode that it wasn ’ t aware of scraping on its site by Clearview , though such web-scraping would violate their community guidelines .
When asked about Clearview scraping its images and videos , PornHub VP Blake White said in a statement , “ We have no knowledge of this and actively block scrapers as they violate our Terms of Service.
” Apple has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developer account for violating its terms .
Still , none of the tech companies that responded to Recode ’ s request for comment have said whether they planned to escalate their demands with lawsuits .
Clearview said it has received these letters from companies , and that its “ attorneys are responding appropriately.
” In an interview with CBS , the company ’ s CEO insisted that there is a First Amendment right to public information .
As users of these technology platforms , members of the public are now in a curious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized these platforms for profiting off our data , we ’ re now potentially reliant on these companies to defend us from a dystopian world of facial recognition .
Keep in mind that several of these companies , like Google and Facebook , have worked on facial recognition technology of their own , albeit confronted with varying levels of controversy and ethical concerns .
In February , we learned that Facebook had agreed to pay $ 550 million to settle an Illinois facial recognition lawsuit inspired by its “ photo-tagging ” suggestion feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our photos , none of these companies have gone forward with creating such a tool — a boundary Clearview has now crossed .
So Clearview might have your photos .
Can you do anything about it ?
According to the privacy policy listed on Clearview ’ s site , users have certain rights .
But the policy says that the “ right to erasure ” — deleting your information from their platform — is only available under certain conditions .
Although he would not say how many , Ton-That told Recode that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these requests and is “ responding appropriately.
” In a later email , Ton-That said : “ We ’ re processing removal requests for persons in jurisdictions that impose that legal requirement.
” In order to make those requests , you would need to confirm your identity with Clearview by sending in — get this — a photo of yourself on a government ID .
But if you ( understandably ) don ’ t feel comfortable doing that , you might consider suing Clearview .
Several lawsuits have now been filed against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and California .
While Texas also has a biometric privacy law , it requires the state ’ s attorney general to take action .
That doesn ’ t appear to have happened .
Ton-That said that Clearview designed its tool to follow “ all relevant laws and regulation.
” Scott Drury , a former Illinois state representative and attorney representing one of those class action lawsuits , told Recode in February they ’ re not just arguing that Clearview violated the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act .
He said they ’ re also suing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , you have citizens who clearly have a right to their privacy and they have a right to know how the photographs that they put online are being used , ” Drury said .
“ And Clearview , working with law enforcement , specifically and covertly took these photos and scraped them from the internet and didn ’ t let anyone know that they were doing that.
” The controversy has prompted some police departments to speak out .
Now , the NYPD is denying that it has an “ institutional relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News .
The Philadelphia Police Department has said that , for now , they ’ re only testing Clearview AI ’ s tool .
The Chicago Police Department has said that , after a trial , it spent nearly $ 50,000 to use the tech for two years , according to the Chicago Sun-Times .
Meanwhile , the state attorney general of New Jersey has ordered that all police in the state stop using the tool .
Others , including the Miami Police Department , have been commenting on cases where Clearview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But a few cities have already banned law enforcement from using facial recognition .
The revelations about Clearview AI have also bolstered calls for federal regulation of the technology .
“ Congress needs to stop messing around and pass legislation to ban the use of face surveillance technology nationwide , ” said Evan Greer , the deputy director for the digital rights group Fight for the Future , in a statement .
That mimics what other privacy advocates are saying .
And some lawmakers appear to be listening .
When the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Booker also tweeted that if “ Congress doesn ’ t act to limit the use of technology in this manner we risk losing our privacy and our freedom.
” And at the end of January , Sen. Ed Markey wrote to Ton-That demanding a list of all law enforcement and intelligence agencies in communication with Clearview , along with other questions .
Sen. Markey has since sent another letter directly to the company , calling Clearview ’ s initial response “ unacceptable , ” and demanding more information about the company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its interest in selling its technology to countries with problematic records on human rights .
Still , facial recognition has long been used by law enforcement agencies .
So while it ’ s possible that Clearview AI could finally galvanize enough backlash to get lawmakers to act , only time will tell .
In the meantime , now would be a great time to switch your social media accounts to private .
You friends might care what you were wearing Saturday night , but maybe that ’ s something the cops don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , March 6 : This piece has been since been updated with new details to reflect ongoing reporting on Clearview AI .
Open Sourced is made possible by the Omidyar Network .
All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists .

How would you like it if anyone armed with an iPhone could figure out a slew of information about you, pull up any Facebook or Instagram picture you’ve ever been in, and see any other image of you that’s been posted publicly online?
This scenario appears to be possible thanks to a shady startup called Clearview AI which, as a New York Times investigation earlier this year revealed, has been mining your pictures online to build a vast facial recognition database. At first, Clearview AI maintained that its tool was only meant to be used by law enforcement and a few private companies. But it later became clear that the company has consistently misrepresented both the extent of its work and the breadth of its aspirations. Now the company seems to be reversing its position, again.
This is concerning. Facial recognition is an incredibly powerful tool, and Clearview’s tech is trafficking in highly personal information — including, potentially, yours. (If you’re a resident of California or the European Union, feel free to request the data Clearview has on you here, but note you’ll likely need to send them a copy of government-issued photo ID.)
Reporting from BuzzFeed News showed that the company had a client list that went far beyond law enforcement and included the NBA, Best Buy, and Macy’s, though some of these companies distanced themselves from the facial recognition startup. In early May, however, BuzzFeed followed up with a report that Clearview promised to cease all of its contracts with private companies, as well as any Illinois entities, in an attempt to make moot a lawsuit alleging the company had violated the state’s powerful biometric privacy law.
Nevertheless, Clearview has also found a new potential source of business: using its facial recognition as a way to assist Covid-19-related contract tracing efforts. That application quickly worried Sen. Edward Markey, who sent a letter to the company’s CEO earlier this week demanding more information. And the startup still faces a slew of other lawsuits.
Clearview exaggerated the role its technology has played in assisting law enforcement in their investigations while also telling Recode that it had only arranged contracts for its technology with customers in the United States and Canada. Documents identified by BuzzFeed News indicate that the company also provided the technology to users in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, including to clients with ties to those countries’ governments.
And, earlier this year, we learned from a New York Times report that Clearview AI’s leaders had even offered up its tech for those connected with the company to try, and that one billionaire used the software to identify a man who was dating his daughter.
The controversy surrounding Clearview has since prompted probes from US senators. The very existence of facial recognition technology has always been a source of debate. Law enforcement has been using facial recognition for several years now, and companies, schools, and other organizations are increasingly making use of the AI-powered software. But Clearview’s technology represents a frightening step toward an all-powerful system that the world hasn’t seen before. The secretive company says it has created a database of more than 3 billion images that have been scraped from all corners of the internet, including social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. From just a snapshot or video still, Clearview claims its app lets someone using the tech identify a face and match it with publicly available information about the person, all within just a few seconds.
Meanwhile, OneZero revealed that Clearview AI had also sought to supplement its database of web-scraped photos with mug shots, though it’s not clear whether the company was successful.
Do we want to live in a world where this technology exists? Clearview argues that the tech can help track down dangerous people, and its site points to “child molesters, murderers, suspected terrorists.” And as the Times reported in February, the company’s facial recognition has helped identify child victims in exploitative videos posted to the web. But clearly the tech can be used for a lot more than that.
And critics say facial recognition is way too risky, enabling excessive surveillance and threatening our privacy rights. Another concern is that the technology, broadly, has also been shown to be less accurate on people of color, women, and other minority groups.
Faced with these concerns, the world’s biggest tech companies have stepped up and, sent cease-and-desist letters to Clearview that order the company to stop scraping their sites for our data. But it’s not clear how much good that will do, or how invested they actually are in protecting our personal information. While some lawsuits against Clearview are also popping up, it’s not yet apparent how Clearview could be stopped. That has privacy advocates pointing to the need for a federal law regulating, or even outright banning, facial recognition in the United States.
Facial recognition isn’t new. But this huge database of faces is.
So here’s how Clearview’s tool works. Say you have an image of a person, but you don’t know their name. You could input that photo into Clearview’s app, and it will turn up any image of the person that it had scraped from the internet, as well as links to websites from which those images came. That could be a good amount of information.
Again, Clearview’s database reportedly includes more than 3 billion images taken from around the web. That’s much more than what law enforcement agencies typically have access to. The Times reports that the technology will work with images of faces from many different angles, while older facial recognition tools used by police departments might require the subject to be looking straight ahead, like in a mug shot.
That means images from social media posts on platforms like Instagram could pop up — even images that are no longer, but once were, publicly available. And keep in mind: The tool doesn’t just surface pictures that you’ve taken and posted online. It will also turn up any photos posted of you, even those posted without your consent or knowledge.
“Clearview is a search engine for publicly available images,” Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That told Recode in an email. “We do not and cannot index any images that are private or protected, such as those in a private Instagram account. A previously public image may or may not be searchable with Clearview depending on the time it was public and that would depend on the individual case.”
Clearview decides who can — and can’t — use this tool
More than 600 law enforcement agencies have used Clearview AI in the past year, as have federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to the Times. The FBI would not confirm to Recode that it had used Clearview’s tool, instead pointing to its testimony last year about its use of facial recognition more broadly. The DHS has not responded to Recode’s request for comment.
Earlier reporting suggested that the tool was offered to a wide variety of companies for security, though Ton-That wouldn’t tell Recode which ones. Now, the company seems to be returning to what it had promised all along: that its tool would only be used for law enforcement purposes. But with the company repeatedly lying and misrepresenting its own work, it’s not clear to what degree its most recent commitment should be trusted.
And even its most recent promise to only sell its product for government purposes doesn’t address concerns that its facial recognition tool could be abused by countries with terrible human rights records. Ton-That told the Times earlier this year, “If it’s a country where it’s just governed terribly, or whatever, I don’t know if we’d feel comfortable, you know, selling to certain countries.”
But as other reporting indicates, the company has felt comfortable selling this technology to clients in countries with concerning records on civil liberties and human rights, and BuzzFeed earlier reported that the technology had been offered to users in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Meanwhile, Clearview had claimed to Recode previously that it does not have contracts outside the US and Canada (The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the national police service in Canada, told Recode that it does not comment on specific investigative tools but that it researches emerging technologies).
The use of this tool by law enforcement alone raises questions, however. Imagine, for instance, the ethical problems at play with a police officer using Clearview to identify a protester. Or, say the facial recognition doesn’t work as it should and a false “match” ultimately leads to arresting someone for a crime they didn’t commit.
Initially, there was fear that Clearview’s technology could one day be made available to just about anyone. Such a development could destroy our expectation of being anonymous in public.
It’s not difficult to imagine terrifying uses of this, and we already have a hint, given how associates of Clearview AI have already made use of the tool. But imagine if a nude picture of you was, at some point in time, posted online. With the snap of a phone camera, it’s possible that anyone with Clearview could instantaneously find that image. Or imagine you’re walking down the street, and someone decides they want to know where you live and whether you had kids. All they might need is the Clearview app.
The scope of Clearview’s threat to privacy remains unclear. The Times has reported: “Police officers and Clearview’s investors predict that its app will eventually be available to the public.” Unsurprisingly, that was different from what Ton-That told Recode.
“Our strict commitment at this time and at all times previously is and has been not to make this tool available to the general public,” Ton-That said in an email to Recode. “Our mission is to reduce crime, fraud, and abuse using our powerful new technology. Any abuse of our technology would be in total violation of our mission and values.”
There are many good reasons not to trust this company
Clearview’s past has raised alarm bells. For one thing, CEO Hoan Ton-That’s previous ventures included an app that added Trump’s hair onto photos of people, and he’s also been linked to a phishing site. At one point, the company tried to sell a database for “extreme opposition research” to Paul Nehlen, a white supremacist and anti-Semite, who was running for Congress at the time, according to the Times. One investor in the company is Peter Thiel, who helped found PayPay and Palantir and has vocally supported President Trump.
The company hasn’t been exactly forthright in its advertising claims, either. For instance, BuzzFeed News reporting found two cases in which Clearview claimed a certain law enforcement agency was “using” its product, when in fact the agency had simply received a tip from the company. Clearview also appears to be claiming that hundreds of police departments were working with them when some of those police departments only signed up for a trial, according to BuzzFeed News.
Ton-That told Recode, “Our calculations are based on the number of agencies that are actively using Clearview’s technology to help solve crimes.”
It’s not quite clear how well the tool actually works. According to marketing materials obtained by BuzzFeed News, Clearview claimed to have “accuracy finding a match out of 1 million faces” 98.6 percent of the time. At the same time, Clearview told the New York Times that the tool produces a match up to 75 percent of the time, although we don’t know how many of those are “true” matches. Ton-That also told the Times that one difficulty for Clearview’s algorithms is that photos scraped from the web were generally at eye-level, which is not at the same angle typically captured by surveillance cameras.
The company had also said that it had checked the accuracy of its tool using a methodology from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an assertion the organization has pushed strongly back against. The claim has since been removed from Clearview’s site, though the company still says that its tool was reviewed and certified by an “independent panel of experts.” (Recode asked Clearview who those experts were, but we never heard back.)
Meanwhile, Craig Watson, the director of the National Institute of Standard and Technology’s Image group, told Recode that Clearview had not volunteered to participate in its facial recognition vendor testing program, and there were no plans to evaluate its algorithms.
At the same time, Clearview AI also appears to be developing surveillance cameras, according to Buzzfeed News.
Tech companies are fighting back, but that might not be enough
Major internet platforms have responded to Clearview by sending the company cease-and-desist letters. These companies now include LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Venmo, Google, and YouTube. It’s worth noting that Twitter explicitly bans using its platform for the purpose of facial recognition. Meanwhile, Pinterest told Recode that it wasn’t aware of scraping on its site by Clearview, though such web-scraping would violate their community guidelines. When asked about Clearview scraping its images and videos, PornHub VP Blake White said in a statement, “We have no knowledge of this and actively block scrapers as they violate our Terms of Service.”
Apple has since suspended Clearview’s access to its developer account for violating its terms.
Still, none of the tech companies that responded to Recode’s request for comment have said whether they planned to escalate their demands with lawsuits. Clearview said it has received these letters from companies, and that its “attorneys are responding appropriately.” In an interview with CBS, the company’s CEO insisted that there is a First Amendment right to public information.
As users of these technology platforms, members of the public are now in a curious position. Although we’ve long criticized these platforms for profiting off our data, we’re now potentially reliant on these companies to defend us from a dystopian world of facial recognition. Keep in mind that several of these companies, like Google and Facebook, have worked on facial recognition technology of their own, albeit confronted with varying levels of controversy and ethical concerns. In February, we learned that Facebook had agreed to pay $550 million to settle an Illinois facial recognition lawsuit inspired by its “photo-tagging” suggestion feature. But despite having access to billions of our photos, none of these companies have gone forward with creating such a tool — a boundary Clearview has now crossed.
So Clearview might have your photos. Can you do anything about it?
According to the privacy policy listed on Clearview’s site, users have certain rights. But the policy says that the “right to erasure” — deleting your information from their platform — is only available under certain conditions. Although he would not say how many, Ton-That had told Recode that Clearview has received a “number” of these requests and is “responding appropriately.”
In a later email, Ton-That said: “We’re processing removal requests for persons in jurisdictions that impose that legal requirement.” In order to make those requests, you would need to confirm your identity with Clearview by sending in — get this — a photo of yourself on a government ID.
But if you (understandably) don’t feel comfortable doing that, you might consider suing Clearview. Several lawsuits have now been filed against Clearview, including in Virginia, Illinois and California. While Texas also has a biometric privacy law, it requires the state’s attorney general to take action. That doesn’t appear to have happened.
Ton-That said that Clearview designed its tool to follow “all relevant laws and regulation.”
Scott Drury, a former Illinois state representative and attorney representing, told Recode back in February that his class action lawsuit was not just arguing that Clearview violated the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act. He said they’re also suing on constitutional grounds.
“In this case, you have citizens who clearly have a right to their privacy and they have a right to know how the photographs that they put online are being used,” Drury said. “And Clearview, working with law enforcement, specifically and covertly took these photos and scraped them from the internet and didn’t let anyone know that they were doing that.”
The controversy has prompted some police departments to speak out. Now, the NYPD is denying that it has an “institutional relationship” with the company, according to BuzzFeed News. The Philadelphia Police Department has said that, for now, they’re only testing Clearview AI’s tool.
The Chicago Police Department has said that, after a trial, it spent nearly $50,000 to use the tech for two years, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, the state attorney general of New Jersey has ordered that all police in the state stop using the tool. Others, including the Miami Police Department, have been commenting on cases where Clearview AI has helped to identify suspects.
But a few cities have already banned law enforcement from using facial recognition. The revelations about Clearview AI have also bolstered calls for federal regulation of the technology.
“Congress needs to stop messing around and pass legislation to ban the use of face surveillance technology nationwide,” said Evan Greer, the deputy director for the digital rights group Fight for the Future, in a statement. That mimics what other privacy advocates are saying.
And some lawmakers appear to be listening. When the New York Times story came out, Sen. Cory Booker also tweeted that if “Congress doesn’t act to limit the use of technology in this manner we risk losing our privacy and our freedom.” And at the end of January, Sen. Ed Markey wrote to Ton-That demanding a list of all law enforcement and intelligence agencies in communication with Clearview, along with other questions.
In addition to Markey’s newest letter to Clearview AI about contract-tracing, the senator had earlier sent letter directly to the company calling Clearview’s initial response “unacceptable,” and demanding more information about the company’s potential to collect the images of children and its interest in selling its technology to countries with problematic records on human rights.
Still, facial recognition has long been used by law enforcement agencies. So while it’s possible that Clearview AI could finally galvanize enough backlash to get lawmakers to act, only time will tell. In the meantime, now would be a great time to switch your social media accounts to private. You friends might care what you were wearing Saturday night, but maybe that’s something the cops don’t need to know.
Update, March 6: This piece has been since been updated with new details to reflect ongoing reporting on Clearview AI.
Update, May 8: This piece has been updated with new details to reflect ongoing reporting on Clearview AI.
Open Sourced is made possible by the Omidyar Network. All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists.


vox--2020-03-06--Silly songs, dances, and skits: The world is using humor to curb coronavirus’s spread

The spread of the novel coronavirus is concerning , if not downright scary .
But even at such a serious time , governments and citizens around the world are using quirky and even funny viral videos to educate the public ( and each other ) on how to stay safe and prevent a greater outbreak .
Covid-19 , the official name of the disease caused by the virus , has so far infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and stirred a global panic .
People are “ clearing the shelves of their local pharmacies and grocery stores , ” stockpiling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though government experts , like those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , keep telling people that the best way to protect yourself from infection is to just wash your hands really well .
So to try to get this message across more effectively , and educate people about the coronavirus more generally , governments and others are getting creative — to often hilarious results .
After all , who says you can ’ t spread a little joy and laughter while trying to keep people from spreading a virus ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve seen so far .
Vietnam ’ s Ministry of Health worked with singers Min and Erik , the artists behind the 2017 hit Vietnamese song “ Ghen , ” to produce a catchy music video called “ Jealous Coronavirus ” to help inform the public on how to prevent the spread of Covid-19 .
The song starts by giving context about the outbreak , informing the listeners or viewers that it started in Wuhan , China , then goes into the importance of preventing the spread of the disease and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let ’ s wash our hands , rub , rub , rub , rub them / don ’ t put your hands on eyes , nose , mouth / limit going to crowded places , fight back against corona !
” the chorus , sung in Vietnamese , goes .
The lyrics are accompanied by cartoon images of menacing green virus cells , people wearing face masks , and , uh , the Grim Reaper .
The video was uploaded by Min and has received almost 6 million views since February 23 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Quang Đăng , a Vietnamese dancer , picked up the song and choreographed a dance to it .
He challenged his viewers on Instagram to learn and upload their own videos using the hashtag # GhenCovyChallenge .
The dancer tells his viewers in the caption of the video that , in order to complete the challenge , they must “ perform the dance ... with 6 hand washing movements as recommended by the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health.
” Washington ’ s secretary of state on sealing your ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please don ’ t lick !
” A week before Washington state ’ s primary elections were scheduled to take place on March 10 , Washington ’ s secretary of state tweeted a picture featuring a rhyme that warns the public against licking ballot-return envelopes to seal them : “ Whether healthy or sick , please don ’ t lick !
” In the tweet , the secretary of state instead advised that voters instead use a “ wet sponge or cloth ” to seal their ballots to prevent the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things right now is probably a good idea .
The city of Round Rock , Texas , put out a public service message to ensure people wash their hands properly — and let ’ s just say the city definitely knows its audience well .
“ Wash your hands like you just got done slicing jalapeños for a batch of nachos and you need to take your contacts out , ” the message reads .
“ That ’ s like 20 seconds of scrubbing , y ’ all.
” The PSA became an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patch.com , it was produced by Austin Ellington , Round Rock ’ s digital communications coordinator , who apparently has also “ produced a number of memorably creative informational , and award-winning , campaigns for the city.
” “ Air hug ” : Singapore ’ s “ What you should do this COVID-19 outbreak ” In Singapore , content creators are using humorous skits in order to slow the spread of Covid-19 .
This video touches on important topics such as not listening to rumors , not panicking , washing your hands properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By exhibiting one panicky , flawed character and one calm and collected one , the video addresses ways the public is incorrectly reacting to the virus , and then shows what they should be doing instead .
The video was uploaded by a YouTube channel called “ meWATCH ” that posts “ local/made-in-Singapore on-demand dramas , entertainment , news , sports and live programmes.
” The channel has uploaded at least four other videos about Covid-19 and how to prevent it , including a humorous step-by-step guide on how to properly wash your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them all .
Iran : “ Proper way to wash your hands ” Speaking of how to properly wash your hands , an Iranian theater actor , Danial Kheirikhah , posted a one-minute orchestral parody song on Instagram to show the “ proper way to wash your hands.
” Without saying a single word , Kheirikhah advises how to wash your hands thoroughly , to cover a sneeze with your elbow , and to wash your hands if you sneeze into them .
The actor spends most of the video displaying a thorough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the role of an orchestral conductor .
As he “ conducts the orchestra , ” he is also scrubbing his palms , nails , and knuckles multiple times — as one should .
He cleverly ends the video by sneezing into his elbow .
The second time he sneezes , he does so into his palms , requiring him to start the video all over again by — you guessed it — washing his hands .
Chinese citizens create new ways to connect with each other safely A video posted to Twitter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can greet each other without potentially spreading any germs : the “ Wuhan Shake.
” In the video , a group of people are seen tapping their shoe-covered feet against their friends ’ shoe-covered feet instead of shaking hands .
It ’ s an idea that many Americans might consider copying these days .
A study in the Journal of Environmental Health “ found only 5 percent of Americans wash their hands properly , ” meaning the person you ’ re greeting is highly likely to have unclean hands .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a troublesome time , people are still using their creativity and humor , not only to help out but also to provide a little levity .
We could all use a bit more of that spreading around .

The spread of the novel coronavirus is concerning, if not downright scary. But even at such a serious time, governments and citizens around the world are using quirky and even funny viral videos to educate the public (and each other) on how to stay safe and prevent a greater outbreak.
Covid-19, the official name of the disease caused by the virus, has so far infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and stirred a global panic. People are “clearing the shelves of their local pharmacies and grocery stores,” stockpiling face masks and hand sanitizer — even though government experts, like those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, keep telling people that the best way to protect yourself from infection is to just wash your hands really well.
So to try to get this message across more effectively, and educate people about the coronavirus more generally, governments and others are getting creative — to often hilarious results. After all, who says you can’t spread a little joy and laughter while trying to keep people from spreading a virus?
Here are some of the best ones we’ve seen so far.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health: Catchy coronavirus-prevention song
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health worked with singers Min and Erik, the artists behind the 2017 hit Vietnamese song “Ghen,” to produce a catchy music video called “Jealous Coronavirus” to help inform the public on how to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The song starts by giving context about the outbreak, informing the listeners or viewers that it started in Wuhan, China, then goes into the importance of preventing the spread of the disease and exactly how to do so.
“Let’s wash our hands, rub, rub, rub, rub them / don’t put your hands on eyes, nose, mouth / limit going to crowded places, fight back against corona!” the chorus, sung in Vietnamese, goes.
The lyrics are accompanied by cartoon images of menacing green virus cells, people wearing face masks, and, uh, the Grim Reaper. The video was uploaded by Min and has received almost 6 million views since February 23.
Shortly after the song’s release, Quang Đăng, a Vietnamese dancer, picked up the song and choreographed a dance to it. He challenged his viewers on Instagram to learn and upload their own videos using the hashtag #GhenCovyChallenge.
The dancer tells his viewers in the caption of the video that, in order to complete the challenge, they must “perform the dance ... with 6 hand washing movements as recommended by the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health.”
Washington’s secretary of state on sealing your ballot: “Whether healthy or sick, please don’t lick!”
A week before Washington state’s primary elections were scheduled to take place on March 10, Washington’s secretary of state tweeted a picture featuring a rhyme that warns the public against licking ballot-return envelopes to seal them: “Whether healthy or sick, please don’t lick!”
As recommended by @WADeptHealth, please use alternative methods to seal your ballot return envelopes, such as a wet sponge or cloth.
Washington’s Presidential Primary is March 10. Use a ballot drop box to return your ballot by 8 p.m. Election Day. #waelex pic.twitter.com/UOk8Ld4Z3m — WA Secretary of State (@secstatewa) March 3, 2020
In the tweet, the secretary of state instead advised that voters instead use a “wet sponge or cloth” to seal their ballots to prevent the spread of the virus.
And honestly, not licking things right now is probably a good idea.
Prevention advice gets spicy in Round Rock, Texas
The city of Round Rock, Texas, put out a public service message to ensure people wash their hands properly — and let’s just say the city definitely knows its audience well.
“Wash your hands like you just got done slicing jalapeños for a batch of nachos and you need to take your contacts out,” the message reads. “That’s like 20 seconds of scrubbing, y’all.”
Pretty darn relatable.
Nothing succeeds like a vivid analogy - a very concrete bit of advice. pic.twitter.com/AsMeF2VKOe — Henry Shevlin (@dioscuri) March 5, 2020
The PSA became an instant hit on Twitter. According to Patch.com, it was produced by Austin Ellington, Round Rock’s digital communications coordinator, who apparently has also “produced a number of memorably creative informational, and award-winning, campaigns for the city.”
“Air hug”: Singapore’s “What you should do this COVID-19 outbreak”
In Singapore, content creators are using humorous skits in order to slow the spread of Covid-19.
This video touches on important topics such as not listening to rumors, not panicking, washing your hands properly, and not touching your face.
By exhibiting one panicky, flawed character and one calm and collected one, the video addresses ways the public is incorrectly reacting to the virus, and then shows what they should be doing instead.
The video was uploaded by a YouTube channel called “meWATCH” that posts “local/made-in-Singapore on-demand dramas, entertainment, news, sports and live programmes.”
The channel has uploaded at least four other videos about Covid-19 and how to prevent it, including a humorous step-by-step guide on how to properly wash your hands.
I’d say watch them all.
Iran: “Proper way to wash your hands”
Speaking of how to properly wash your hands, an Iranian theater actor, Danial Kheirikhah, posted a one-minute orchestral parody song on Instagram to show the “proper way to wash your hands.”
Without saying a single word, Kheirikhah advises how to wash your hands thoroughly, to cover a sneeze with your elbow, and to wash your hands if you sneeze into them.
The actor spends most of the video displaying a thorough way of washing his hands by playing the role of an orchestral conductor. As he “conducts the orchestra,” he is also scrubbing his palms, nails, and knuckles multiple times — as one should.
He cleverly ends the video by sneezing into his elbow. The second time he sneezes, he does so into his palms, requiring him to start the video all over again by — you guessed it — washing his hands.
Chinese citizens create new ways to connect with each other safely
A video posted to Twitter in China jokingly displays a new way people can greet each other without potentially spreading any germs: the “Wuhan Shake.”
In the video, a group of people are seen tapping their shoe-covered feet against their friends’ shoe-covered feet instead of shaking hands.
People in China found another way to greet since they can't shake hands.
The Wuhan Shake.
I love how people can adapt and keep a sense of humor about stressful situations. pic.twitter.com/P8MSfOdJ2H — •*¨*•.¸¸✯*･ Ꮙ •*¨*•.¸¸✯*¨ (@V_actually) February 29, 2020
It’s an idea that many Americans might consider copying these days.
A study in the Journal of Environmental Health “found only 5 percent of Americans wash their hands properly,” meaning the person you’re greeting is highly likely to have unclean hands.
It’s nice to see that even during such a troublesome time, people are still using their creativity and humor, not only to help out but also to provide a little levity. We could all use a bit more of that spreading around.


vox--2020-03-06--The economic cost of major tech events canceled due to coronavirus has passed $1 billion

As the novel coronavirus continues to take a human and economic toll across the world , the lucrative business of tech conferences is not immune .
The direct economic loss from the cancellation from nine major tech conferences including Google I/O , Facebook ’ s F8 event , Mobile World Congress and now SXSW over coronavirus has already surpassed $ 1 billion , according to estimates the data intelligence company PredictHQ pulled for Recode .
That number doesn ’ t even include what event organizers like Facebook itself would have made from the event .
The figure just covers the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and transportation providers that would normally make money from attendees ’ purchases .
Some $ 480 million — the biggest loss — came from the cancellation of Mobile World Congress , which was supposed to host more than 100,000 attendees in Barcelona last month .
That ’ s followed by SXSW , an Austin tech , music , and movie conference that had approximately 280,000 attendees last year and whose newly announced cancellation could result in $ 350 million in direct losses according to PredictHQ .
The Game Developers Conference , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but has been postponed , could incur $ 129 million in losses .
Google I/O , a 5,000-person developer conference has a direct loss estimate of nearly $ 20 million .
While a number of events , including Facebook F8 and Adobe Summit , will still have an online component , that effort does not stave off the significant economic loss from canceling the physical event .
PredictHQ looks at losses from four categories : airfare , lodging , food , and transportation .
That means this is a very conservative estimate since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from , say , event sponsors , purchases that employees might have made , or ancillary impacts to the local economy .
PredictHQ said there was a 500 percent increase in major event cancellations and postponements last month , and the International Air Transport Association this month increased previous estimates for airline travel losses from the coronavirus outbreak to up to $ 113 billion .
Oxford Economics estimates that business conferences generate more than a trillion dollars in direct spending annually ; so far these canceled tech conferences haven ’ t put a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both tech companies and consumers will be responsible for bearing the brunt of their losses , as most major insurance companies exclude communicable disease losses from reimbursement .
These cancellations come as more than 3,400 people have died and more than 100,000 have been diagnosed with coronavirus .
Numerous tech companies , including Twitter and Square , have told their employees to work from home .
Several other major companies , like Amazon , have canceled nonessential travel , especially internationally .
Mentions of working from home also skyrocketed last month in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these tech companies ’ lead , it could result in a test of people ’ s ability to work at home en masse rather than in the office .
Apple is still expected to hold its giant developer conferences later this spring .
Recode ’ s own Code Conference is still scheduled for the end of May .
As the threat of coronavirus grows , it ’ s likely more companies big and small will decide to cancel their conferences .
It remains to be seen how big those losses will be .

As the novel coronavirus continues to take a human and economic toll across the world, the lucrative business of tech conferences is not immune.
The direct economic loss from the cancellation of more than 10 major tech conferences — including Google I/O, Facebook’s F8 event, Mobile World Congress, SXSW, and now the massive video gaming conference Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) — due to the coronavirus outbreak has surpassed $1.1 billion, according to estimates the data intelligence company PredictHQ pulled for Recode. That number doesn’t even include the amount of money that the respective companies would have made from hosting the events. The figure simply covers the losses to airlines, hotels, restaurants, and transportation providers that would normally make money from attendees’ purchases.
Some $480 million — the biggest loss — came from the cancellation of Mobile World Congress, which was supposed to host more than 100,000 attendees in Barcelona in February. That’s followed by SXSW, an Austin tech, music, and movie conference that had approximately 280,000 attendees last year and whose announced cancellation could result in $350 million in direct losses, according to PredictHQ. The Game Developers Conference, a 30,000-person event that was scheduled for March but has been postponed, could incur $129 million in losses. E3 is estimated to have a direct economic loss of $75 million. Google I/O, a 5,000-person developer conference, has a direct loss estimate of nearly $20 million.
While a number of events, including Facebook F8 and Adobe Summit, will still have an online component, that effort does not stave off the significant economic loss from canceling the physical event.
PredictHQ looks at losses from four categories: airfare, lodging, food, and transportation. That means this is a very conservative estimate since it doesn’t include losses incurred from, say, event sponsors, purchases that employees might have made, or ancillary impacts to the local economy.
PredictHQ said there was a 500 percent increase in major event cancellations and postponements last month, and the International Air Transport Association this month increased previous estimates for airline travel losses due to the coronavirus outbreak to as much as $113 billion.
Oxford Economics estimates that business conferences generate more than a trillion dollars in direct spending annually. So far these canceled tech conferences haven’t put a major dent in that. Still, both tech companies and consumers will be responsible for bearing the brunt of these conference-related losses, as most major insurance companies exclude communicable disease losses from reimbursement.
These cancellations come as nearly 5,000 people have died and more than 127,000 have been diagnosed with coronavirus. Numerous tech companies — including Google, Twitter, and Square — have told their employees to work from home. Several other major companies, like Amazon, have canceled nonessential travel, especially internationally, and are advising some workers to stay home. Accordingly, mentions of working from home skyrocketed last month in public company transcripts. If more companies follow these tech companies’ lead, the response to the coronavirus outbreak could result in a test of people’s ability to work at home en masse rather than in the office.
Meanwhile, Apple is still expected to hold its giant developer conferences later this spring. Recode’s own Code Conference is still scheduled for the end of May.
As the threat of coronavirus grows, it’s likely more companies big and small will decide to cancel their conferences. It remains to be seen how big those losses will be.
Update, March 12, 2020, 1:50 pm ET: This post has been updated to include additional information about canceled conferences.


vox--2020-03-06--The next Democratic debate will feature a much smaller stage

Believe it or not , there are still more Democratic debates : After three in quick succession in February , the next debate — No .
11 — will take place on Sunday , March 15 , in Phoenix , Arizona .
The debate will be co-hosted by CNN and Univision and is two days ahead of a busy election night , when Arizona , Florida , Illinois , and Ohio vote .
CHC Bold — a political action committee affiliated with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — has partnered with the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) for the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ET and will run for about two hours ; Dana Bash and Jake Tapper of CNN , along with Jorge Ramos of Univision , will moderate .
To qualify , candidates will need to have earned at least 20 percent of all delegates available from the primary so far .
Right now , that means only two candidates have qualified : former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders .
The new debate criteria also mean that it ’ s all but impossible for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to qualify .
While she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she ’ s won just two delegates so far and hasn ’ t been a factor in the race for a while .
The new qualifying standard represents a stark change from past debates , where only a single delegate was enough for candidates to make the stage .
Candidates were also able to qualify for previous debates by meeting a polling threshold ; a fundraising requirement to appear on stage was done away with earlier this year .
As Super Tuesday results rolled in on Tuesday night , DNC communications director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the threshold will go up ” ahead of the March debate .
“ By the time we have the March debate , almost 2,000 delegates will be allocated , ” she said .
“ The threshold will reflect where we are in the race.
” The March debate ( probably ) won ’ t be the last .
The DNC ’ s plan calls for 12 debates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary , with the last on a yet-to-be-announced date in April .
From the ninth Democratic debate to the 10th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six candidates to seven .
That ’ s not going to happen this time : Since the debate in South Carolina , five candidates — former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ; Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar ; and billionaires Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg — have bowed out of the race , leaving the Democratic field at just three .
Of those three , only two — Biden and Sanders , the two frontrunners for the Democratic nomination — will be on stage , and that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outperforming expectations on Super Tuesday , Biden is firmly back in contention for the nomination with a consolidated moderate lane behind him .
With California still counting votes , it ’ s still unclear whether he or Sanders holds the lead in delegates , but it ’ s unquestionably a two-man race , and the reduced debate stage could give both candidates plenty of chances to take each other on directly .
So while there are still a few unknowns , we can certainly look forward to a smaller — and probably much @ @ @ @ @ @

Believe it or not, there are still more Democratic debates: After three in quick succession in February, the next debate — No. 11 — will take place on this Sunday, March 15, in Washington, DC.
The debate will be co-hosted by CNN and Univision and is two days ahead of a busy election night, when Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio vote. CHC Bold — a political action committee affiliated with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — has partnered with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for the debate. The debate starts at 8 pm ET and will run for about two hours; Dana Bash and Jake Tapper of CNN, along with Ilia Calderón of Univision, will moderate.
The debate was originally scheduled to take place in Phoenix, Arizona, which is one of four states holding a primary on March 17. However, the DNC announced change of venue Thursday amid a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the US, and there will no longer be a live audience or post-debate spin room.
DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa also released a statement regarding Sunday’s debate:
“Out of an abundance of caution and in order to reduce cross-country travel, all parties have decided that the best path forward is to hold Sunday’s debate at CNN’s studio in Washington, D.C., with no live audience.”
Univision’s Jorge Ramos was originally announced as a moderator, but has been replaced by Calderón after being “possibly” exposed to the coronavirus.
To qualify, candidates will need to have earned at least 20 percent of all delegates available from the primary so far. Right now, that means only two candidates have qualified: former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The new debate criteria also mean that it’s all but impossible for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to qualify. While she’s technically still in the race, she’s won just two delegates so far and hasn’t been a factor in the race for a while.
The new qualifying standard represents a stark change from past debates, where only a single delegate was enough for candidates to make the stage. Candidates were also able to qualify for previous debates by meeting a polling threshold; a fundraising requirement to appear on stage was done away with earlier this year.
As Super Tuesday results rolled in on Tuesday night, Hinojosa tweeted that “of course the threshold will go up” ahead of the March debate.
“By the time we have the March debate, almost 2,000 delegates will be allocated,” she said. “The threshold will reflect where we are in the race.”
The March debate (probably) won’t be the last. The DNC’s plan calls for 12 debates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, with the last on a yet-to-be-announced date in April.
A smaller field of candidates
From the ninth Democratic debate to the 10th, the debate stage actually grew, from six candidates to seven. That’s not going to happen this time: Since the debate in South Carolina, five candidates — former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; and billionaires Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg — have bowed out of the race, leaving the Democratic field at just three.
Of those three, only two — Biden and Sanders, the two frontrunners for the Democratic nomination — will be on stage, and that could make for an eventful debate.
After outperforming expectations on Super Tuesday, Biden is firmly back in contention for the nomination with a consolidated moderate lane behind him. With California still counting votes, it’s still unclear whether he or Sanders holds the lead in delegates, but it’s unquestionably a two-man race, and the reduced debate stage could give both candidates plenty of chances to take each other on directly.
So while there are still a few unknowns, we can certainly look forward to a smaller — and probably much punchier — debate.