Watchdogs Say Canada Police Body Cameras Threaten Privacy

Canadian privacy watchdogs warned Wednesday that cameras increasingly worn by police risk chipping away at legally-protected personal privacy.

Officers in Calgary recently became the first in Canada to wear the recording devices on their uniform while on patrol.

Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax and Montreal forces are also considering their use.

Federal privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien and his 13 provincial and territorial counterparts acknowledged beneficial uses of the small cameras in collecting evidence and protecting officers against unfounded allegations of misconduct. 

"However, there are also significant privacy implications," Therrien said in a statement.

The cameras are intended to provide an audio-visual record of events from the officer's point of view as they go about their daily duties.

But their increasing use, combined with the proliferation of closed-circuit television cameras and other surveillance, means ever larger amounts of personal information are being collected.

Through the use of new video analytics technologies, such as facial, license plate and pattern recognition, authorities may glean even more detailed information about a person. The information gathered may be protected under Canadian privacy laws.

"Given this, and as more and more policing organizations consider adopting this technology, we are encouraging them to address those privacy issues upfront to ensure they strike the right balance between law enforcement needs and the privacy rights of Canadians," Therrien said.

He urged police forces to inform the public before equipping officers with body-worn cameras, as well as minimize the recording of bystanders and encrypt recordings to prevent their unauthorized use.