Connect with us

Tech

AI facial recognition led to a grandma being wrongly jailed

Published

on

Clearview AI logo

Angela Lipps, a 50-year-old grandma from Tennessee, spent more than five months in jail after the AI facial recognition platform Clearview AI falsely matched the grandmother with a suspect of bank fraud more than 1,000 miles away in North Dakota.

Fargo police chief Dave Zibolski admitted to CNN that there were a "couple of errors" in the investigation that led to Lipps' arrest.

A "partner agency’s facial recognition technology” and “additional investigative steps independent of AI to assist in identification” led to a warrant being issued for Lipps, Zibolski said.

The grandma was arrested on July 14 while looking after four children. Authorities in Tennessee held Lipps in county jail for 108 days before she was extradited to Fargo. Lipps says she had never even been to the state of North Dakota before her arrest.

According to her GoFundMe page, Lipps found out that a woman in North Dakota stole tens of thousands of dollars from banks in Fargo using a fake military ID. Clearview AI matched the fake ID image with Lipps in Tennessee.

The case against Lipps fell apart in December when the lawyer she was given in Fargo was able to produce bank records showing Lipps was at a gas station and ordering pizza in Tennessee at the time that authorities claimed she was in North Dakota.

Lipps was released on Christmas Eve, after nearly 5 months in prison. Lipps says she lost her home, income, car, and health insurance as a result of her imprisonment.

What is Clearview AI?

Clearview AI is a tech company that has plenty of charges from critics on its rap sheet already. it has created massive facial-scan databases by scraping photos from social media platforms and other places on the internet, then training its machine learning algorithms on them.

In 2020, Facebook sent Clearview AI a cease and desist over the mass photo scraping. Other tech companies like YouTube, Twitter, and Venmo also requested that Clearview AI stop scraping its platforms. Clearview AI claimed it had a "First Amendment right" to the data.

In 2022, a legal settlement with the ACLU resulted in Clearview AI agreeing to stop selling access to its tool to private businesses. However, it did not bar Clearview AI from working with law enforcement.

While Fargo police have admitted to making mistakes in the investigation, authorities have not yet apologized to Lipps for her ordeal. Lipps' attorneys are currently looking at filing a civil rights claim.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tech

Save up to 20% vs. the other big guys when you switch to T-Mobile

Published

on

By

Passing phone between hands

TL;DR: Save up to 20% when you switch to T-Mobile, compared to Verizon and AT&T.



t-mobile logo against a white background

Credit: T-Mobile

Save up to 20%

Spring is here, and if you’ve been thinking about spring cleaning your phone plan, it’s worth checking out T-Mobile. Switching from Verizon or AT&T can save you up to 20%.

T-Mobile has a few plans to choose from, each absolutely stacked with benefits. You can get free or discounted streaming services, such as Netflix, Apple TV, and Hulu. Depending on the plan you choose, you'll save up to $117 per month compared to Verizon and AT&T.

Mashable Deals
Be the first to know!

Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone!






By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Thanks for signing up!

No matter how many lines you add to your plan, T-Mobile always works out to be cheaper than the competition. If you’re curious about the cost breakdown, T-Mobile’s site features a helpful chart that shows you the cost across each company as you add more lines.

If you’ve been searching for a new phone plan, T-Mobile is surely worth a look.

Continue Reading

Tech

Hisense just launched the CanvasTV in a 50-inch size

Published

on

By

the Hisense CanvasTV mounted to a white wall in a home

Your TV no longer has to look like a void black rectangle when you turn it off. Instead, you can turn it into a framed piece of art with the Hisense CanvasTV. The brand just launched a new size that's perfect for a bedroom, kitchen, or studio apartment.


the 50-inch Hisense CanvasTV

Credit: Hisense

Joining its 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch comrades, the new 50-inch Hisense CanvasTV is the smallest option available. It's also the cheapest, coming with a price tag of $1,299.99. When you're not streaming your favorite shows, the TV transforms into a piece of framed artwork. The Hisense CanvasTV comes with a magnetic teak frame, but you're able to easily change the frame's vibe by getting the walnut or white finish option separately.

A 65-inch or larger TV might be awesome for living rooms or family rec rooms, but you might want something smaller in a bedroom, kitchen, or if you live in an apartment. That's where the new 50-inch TV could be the best option. Plus, it's the least expensive size.

the hisense canvasTV on a wall with other framed art


Credit: Hisense

Hisense designed the CanvasTV to sit flush with your wall, like a painting or other framed artwork would. You get access to over 1,000 works of art to display on your TV when it's not in use with no need to sign up for an additional subscription. Of course, you can also use your own photos or artwork with either the USB port or by uploading them the Hisense Art Gallery App.

If you're in the market for a TV that doesn't scream "blank TV" when it's not in use, the Hisense CanvasTV is a great option and now it comes in a great 50-inch size.

Continue Reading

Tech

Need a new smartwatch? The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is on sale and selling fast

Published

on

By

A close up of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

SAVE 17%: As of April 6, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $289.99, down from $349.99, at Amazon. That's a 17% discount or a $60 price cut.


If you prefer Android over iOS, Mashable's freelance tech reviewer, Adam Doud, says the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is "worth the upgrade" — and right now, you can grab it on sale.

As of April 6, you can snag the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $289.99 at Amazon, down from $349.99. That's a 17% discount or $60 savings.

When it comes to health metrics, the Galaxy Watch 8 can "track just about everything you do." It features a running coach, heart rate tracking, and an Advanced Sleep Coach that assigns you a "sleep animal" based on how you snooze (which is kind of fun, IMO). Plus, it's the very first smartwatch to run Google Gemini AI right on the watch face, and it features a unique "squircle" design (a round face on a rounded-square base) that sits thinner and flatter on your wrist.

"In theory, if you follow the advice of the watch without outright dismissing it, it can help you live a better life," writes Doud. "And you'll look good doing it."

Continue Reading

Trending