Dozens of organizations and experts are calling on the federal government to ban law enforcement and intelligence agencies’ use of facial recognition technology.
The organizations and individuals have penned a letter to Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair outlining their concerns regarding the technology.
Over 30 organizations have signed the letter including Open Media, Amnesty International Canada, Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Federation of Students.
“Facial recognition technology is highly problematic, given its lack of accuracy and invasive nature, and poses a threat to the fundamental rights of people in Canada. In the absence of meaningful policy or regulation governing its use, it cannot be considered safe for use in Canada,” the letter reads.
The organizations are calling on the government to enact a ban on facial recognition surveillance by federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, along with a public consultation on all aspects of facial recognition technology in Canada.
Lastly, they’re asking that the federal government establish clear and transparent policies to regulate the use of facial recognition in Canada, including reforms to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Privacy Act.
This comes after Clearview AI revealed that it is no longer offering its facial recognition technology in Canada following an investigation from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Earlier this year it was revealed that numerous police forces across Canada were using Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology, including the RCMP, OPP and Toronto Police.
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