Four Canadian Tire stores in BC broke privacy law by using facial recognition technology (FRT) on unsuspecting customers..A new report from the office of the information and privacy commissioner of BC found the stores had not notified, or gained consent from, their customers for three years..FRT developed by FaceFirst and AxxonSoft was used by the four stores to prevent shoplifting and protect staff and customers, according to the report..All four ceased using FRT when they became aware of the November 2021 investigation..“The systems collected facial images or videos of individuals entering the stores, created biometric templates from those faces, and compared these to a database of previously collected photos and biometric templates representing persons of interest who had allegedly been involved in incidents at Canadian Tire stores in the same region,” said the report.. Canadian TireStock image .“The investigation showed the stores did not adequately notify customers and did not obtain consent for the collection of personal information using FRT.”.“Even if the stores had obtained consent, which they failed to do, they were still required to demonstrate a reasonable purpose for collection and use. The investigation found that they did not do so.”.“Factors in that determination included the amount and sensitivity of the personal information collected, the limited likelihood of achieving the purposes for collection, and the availability of less-intrusive options.”.The report recommended a privacy management plan for all four stores, and included two recommendations for the Government of BC, namely the regulation of FRT and an amendment to the Personal Information Protection Act to include additional obligations for organizations..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
Four Canadian Tire stores in BC broke privacy law by using facial recognition technology (FRT) on unsuspecting customers..A new report from the office of the information and privacy commissioner of BC found the stores had not notified, or gained consent from, their customers for three years..FRT developed by FaceFirst and AxxonSoft was used by the four stores to prevent shoplifting and protect staff and customers, according to the report..All four ceased using FRT when they became aware of the November 2021 investigation..“The systems collected facial images or videos of individuals entering the stores, created biometric templates from those faces, and compared these to a database of previously collected photos and biometric templates representing persons of interest who had allegedly been involved in incidents at Canadian Tire stores in the same region,” said the report.. Canadian TireStock image .“The investigation showed the stores did not adequately notify customers and did not obtain consent for the collection of personal information using FRT.”.“Even if the stores had obtained consent, which they failed to do, they were still required to demonstrate a reasonable purpose for collection and use. The investigation found that they did not do so.”.“Factors in that determination included the amount and sensitivity of the personal information collected, the limited likelihood of achieving the purposes for collection, and the availability of less-intrusive options.”.The report recommended a privacy management plan for all four stores, and included two recommendations for the Government of BC, namely the regulation of FRT and an amendment to the Personal Information Protection Act to include additional obligations for organizations..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.