Hoan Ton-That, the cofounder and CEO of controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI, has resigned from his position. The company has appointed early investor Hal Lambert and cofounder Richard Schwartz as new co-CEOs.
Clearview AI, known for its massive database of facial images scraped from the internet without consent, is now positioning itself for potential expansion under a future Trump administration. The leadership change occurred in December when Ton-That initially moved to the role of president before his complete departure.
Despite leaving, Ton-That will remain on the board and noted that the company achieved record revenue and growth in 2024. The appointment of Lambert, who served on Trump's inauguration committee, and Schwartz, a former advisor to Rudy Giuliani, signals the company's strategic direction toward increased government contracts.
The new leadership team is actively pursuing partnerships with federal agencies, including the Pentagon and Homeland Security. Lambert told Forbes that Clearview generated $16 million in annual recurring revenue last year, primarily from local law enforcement contracts, and aims to triple revenue by 2025.
Since its 2020 launch, Clearview AI has faced numerous legal challenges and privacy concerns. The company has battled lawsuits from civil rights groups and received substantial fines in Europe, including a 30.5 million euro penalty from Dutch authorities. Despite these setbacks, Clearview's technology continues to be adopted by U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the recent implementation by the El Cerrito Police Department in California.
The company maintains that its technology has helped solve various criminal cases, though specific details remain limited. Clearview's last funding round in 2021 raised $30 million, valuing the company at $130 million.
As Clearview AI enters this new phase under Lambert and Schwartz's leadership, the focus appears to be on expanding its government contracts while navigating ongoing privacy debates and regulatory challenges.