What is untargeted scraping under EU AI Act?

It's AI systems blindly pulling facial images from internet or CCTV without specific targeting, to build recognition databases. Targeted

Does EU AI Act ban all facial recognition?

No — just untargeted scraping for databases. Real-time remote recognition in public has separate rules.

Can I scrape faces for AI training?

If not for recognition databases, maybe — but GDPR/copyright still apply. Synthetic data's safer.

📜 AI Regulation

EU AI Act Draws Red Line on Scraping Your Face from the Web

What if your casual selfie becomes fodder for mass surveillance AI? The EU AI Act just banned untargeted facial scraping, echoing Clearview AI's GDPR fines—and promising more pain for data hoovers.

theAIcatchup Apr 09, 2026 4 min read

Red prohibition line under EU AI Act banning facial image scraping from internet

⚡ Key Takeaways

EU AI Act Article 5(1)(e) bans untargeted facial scraping for recognition databases, echoing GDPR fines on Clearview AI. 𝕏
Targeted scraping escapes the ban but still faces GDPR biometric hurdles. 𝕏
Loopholes for deepfakes exist, but expect regulatory tightening amid privacy fears. 𝕏

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theAIcatchup

Where law meets technology.

#EU AI Act #biometric privacy #data scraping #facial recognition #facial recognition ban #privacy regulation #untargeted scraping

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Originally reported by Future of Privacy Forum

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