Intel, SpaceX, Dell and Other Companies around the World Licenses the Russian FindFace Software

Dozens of US companies, including Intel, SpaceX, Dell, have been licensed to use FindFace, a face recognition tool developed by Russian company NTech Lab.

NTech Lab's user list, shared with Insider by an anonymous source, contains more than 1,100 records, including companies and government agencies from more than 60 countries.

Private companies from the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China, Myanmar, India and Australia are also included in the list.

FindFace is used to recognise faces, objects, number plates and identify human characteristics. NTech Lab advertises several use cases on its website, including identifying "intruders in a crowd" from user watch lists, checking documents, providing security at airports and regulating access to buildings.

A spokesperson for NTech Lab confirmed that the leak included "a few current clients" and "companies and organisations that have tested our video analytics software for various purposes."

Intel and Nokia deny using or experimenting with FindFace, despite being on the list. The spokesman for NTech Lab noted that it is possible that some of the companies on the user list were licensed but never used it.

Many other US companies were on the user list but made no comment, such as Starlink, and Bosch.

Most entries on the leaked NTech Lab user list relate to police and military agencies of countries including Interpol, the Brazilian Federal Police, and the Royal Thai Army.

NTech Lab has raised about $15 million in 2020 from the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Mubadala, a public investment fund managed managed by the UAE government. The company also received a $1.3 million grant in 2021 from the Russian Foundation for Technological Development.