SENATOR KRISTINA KENEALLY
DEPUTY LABOR LEADER IN THE SENATE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES

MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
 
TIM WATTS MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR CYBERSECURITY
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
MEMBER FOR GELLIBRAND
 

AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE USE OF CLEARVIEW AI

Peter Dutton must immediately explain what knowledge he had of Australian Federal Police officers using the Clearview AI facial recognition tool despite the absence of any legislative framework in relation to the use of identity-matching services.
 
The revelation has come in answers to Questions on Notice and contradict previous denials by the AFP that it was using Clearview.
 
The Home Affairs Minister must explain whether the use of Clearview without legal authorisation has jeopardised AFP investigations into child exploitation.
 
Peter Dutton must also ensure no Australians have had their privacy breached as a result of the use of Clearview by AFP officers.
 
Clearview is a deeply problematic service that has been hacked, and its use by the AFP has privacy implications for many Australians. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has issued the AFP with a notice to produce under section 44 of the Privacy Act.
 
It is concerning that, shortly after the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Review of the mandatory data retention regime was finalised, we now learn as many as seven AFP officers used a private face matching service to conduct investigations.
 
The use by AFP officers of private services to conduct official AFP investigations in the absence of any formal agreement or assessment as to the system’s integrity or security is concerning, especially given the recent hacking of Clearview.
 
There are also serious questions about the AFP’s own FOI procedures. Despite public reporting suggesting that AFP officers were using the service, the AFP rejected three FOI requests on the basis that it held no relevant documents.
 
WEDNESDAY, 15 APRIL 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS: TIMOTHY DUNLOP (KENEALLY) 0428 043 110
                                  STEPHEN SPENCER (DREYFUS) 0423 596 573
                                  MARTIN MCKENZIE-MURRAY (WATTS) 0423 850 035

Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra.