Facial recognition: do our police even use it?
Even though there’s no evidence that SPVM police use facial recognition software, Marvin Rotrand wants to make them promise not to.
But you know, they’re going to. All cops and all authorities are going to use this technology. It’s an inevitability.
Raymond Lutz 09:32 on 2019-08-06 Permalink
“RCMP used cellphone tracking technology unlawfully 6 times, says privacy watchdog” – CBC sep 2017
Kate 12:26 on 2019-08-06 Permalink
Only six?
Ian 12:41 on 2019-08-06 Permalink
They were caught using it unlawfully 6 times. No mention of how many times is was used lawfully and we will never know how many times they simply got away with it.
Raymond Lutz 13:03 on 2019-08-06 Permalink
From the 2017 CBC article: “Between 2011 and 2016 the RCMP used IMSI catchers in 125 criminal investigations, 29 of which were in support of other Canadian law enforcement agencies, the report from Daniel Therrien’s office found. In the majority of cases, the RCMP obtained a warrant to use their IMSI catchers. In 13 cases, no warrant was obtained. Seven of those were what the RCMP call “exigent circumstances” — cases requiring the police to act quickly in order to “prevent the loss of life or grievous bodily harm.” Someone is spying on cellphones in the nation’s capital RCMP, CSIS launch investigations into phone spying on Parliament Hill after CBC story The remaining six cases took place during a time when the RCMP was operating under the notion that no warrant was required — between March and June 2015.
My point is, regarding facial recognition tech (and massive storage of video surveillance): LEAs WILL use it, lawfully or not. Probably they’re already testing prototypes, donnu… like megapixel camera mounted on drones filming manifestations against pipelines?
Faiz Imam 19:00 on 2019-08-06 Permalink
Big ups on Rotrand for pushing this. Its a major issue and very few cities are in front of it.
The use of this tech is still early. Some are using it more, some less. But its only going to be more serious and more universal.
It’s no surprise Oakland and SF were first. They know first hand( and have experts on hand to know) how serious this is, and they took the initiative.
The cops can say (or not say) what they want. But we need the regulatory framework now, before things get out of hand.
Unfortunately the federal government, and the liberals no better than the CPC, show little desire to limit the power of law enforcement in any way. For example both CSIS and CSEC have been given enormous new powers and funding by the liberals, with next to zero transparency and oversight. I don’t see how municipal police will be any different.