The Shocking Far-Right Agenda Behind the Facial Recognition Tech Used by ICE and the FBI
Source: Nightcafe
Newly obtained documents reveal the explicitly far-right origins and agenda behind Clearview AI, the controversial facial recognition company whose technology is now employed by federal agencies including ICE and the FBI. An investigation based on thousands of internal communications suggests the firm's founders, deeply embedded in neoreactionary and extremist circles, always intended their powerful surveillance tool to target immigrants, activists, and the political left.
Clearview AI built a massive database containing billions of images illicitly scraped from the internet and social media, creating unique "faceprints" for individuals without their consent. Co-founder Hoan Ton-That, an Australian immigrant who associated with Silicon Valley neoreactionaries and right-wing extremists, pitched the technology to Border Patrol as early as 2017. His proposals included screening migrants for anti-Trump sentiment and perceived affiliations with "far-left groups," citing the Hispanic civil rights organization UnidosUS (formerly La Raza) as an example. Ton-That, who expressed fascination with eugenics and consulted with proponents of "human biodiversity," also solicited input from extremists while developing the technology.
Backed by right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel and initially partnered with political agitator Charles "Chuck" Johnson, Clearview aggressively marketed its tool to law enforcement, securing hundreds of clients despite mounting privacy concerns and legal challenges globally. Authorities in Canada, France, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands have deemed its data collection illegal, imposing fines totaling around $100 million, while the ACLU settled a lawsuit alleging violations of Illinois' biometric privacy law. Critics describe Clearview's business model as "mass surveillance" that weaponizes citizens' own images against them.
Despite attempts by Ton-That to distance himself from his past extremist associations, internal records show these ties were deeper and more persistent than acknowledged. The company employed individuals linked to white nationalism and sought collaborations with figures known for racist pseudoscience. Pitch decks explicitly touted the technology's ability to surveil protesters and those involved in "radical political or religious activities."
Following Ton-That's recent departure from executive roles, Clearview is now co-led by Richard Schwartz, a former aide to Rudy Giuliani, and Hal Lambert, a major Trump fundraiser whose firm runs a "MAGA ETF." Lambert has openly stated plans to align the company with a potential Trump administration's mass-deportation agenda. Clearview's existing contracts with ICE, expanded under the Biden administration often without clear internal oversight, position it readily to assist such efforts.
With the FBI also a major client and federal regulations on facial recognition nonexistent, the integration of this ideologically driven surveillance technology within government agencies raises profound concerns. Experts warn that under an administration vowing "retribution" against political enemies, Clearview offers a potent tool for identifying protesters, visitors to reproductive health clinics, or worshippers, potentially chilling dissent and eroding civil liberties in an increasingly polarized political landscape. The investigation paints a disturbing picture of a company founded on extremist principles whose technology is now entrenched within the state's security apparatus.
