CCLA Demands Action on Facial Recognition Technology and the Growing Power of Artificial Intelligence

Toronto, ON — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has joined the “Right 2 Your Face” Coalition, a group of experts from civil society, academia, and industry who are expressing major concerns with the federal government’s response to the recent publication of the Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) report, “Facial Recognition Technology and the Growing Power of Artificial Intelligence.”

Today, a joint letter of concern was sent to the government and calls for immediate action to address the severity of the challenges caused by facial recognition technology (FRT) and artificial intelligence (AI). The letter was published on right2yourface.ca, where the public awareness campaign spearheaded by the CCLA and other coalition members, hopes to bring much needed attention to these growing challenges. A full launch of the campaign is expected in the coming months.

“The Government of Canada’s response to the ETHI Committee’s report shows that Parliament isn’t doing enough to take FRT and AI regulation seriously. This coalition of experts from across Canada have joined their voices to tell the Canadian government and people in Canada that there is an urgent priority to enact fit-for-purpose legislation that curbs the risks FRT poses for privacy and human rights,” said Daniel Konikoff, Interim Director of the Privacy, Technology and Surveillance Program at the CCLA, and Brenda McPhail.

The CCLA has joined a growing coalition that believes that in its reply, the government failed to address many of the key recommendations made by the ETHI Committee. The government instead relied upon their promised legislative changes to Canada’s federal private sector privacy laws in Bill C-27. Unfortunately, in its current form, that Bill fails to address the concerns and, like the current, out-of-date law, is unable to address the serious risks and challenges caused by the adoption and deployment of facial recognition technologies.

“Facial recognition technology, combined with increasingly sophisticated AI systems, pose a unique threat to freedom and human rights. This open letter not only proposes a moratorium on facial recognition technology–joining many other international jurisdictions including in the U.S. and Europe–but also sets out a clear framework for more robust regulation of AI and federal leadership. This is critical for the long term health of Canadian democracy,” highlighted Jon Penney, legal scholar and social scientist based at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.

“Action on facial recognition technology is long overdue,” said Christelle Tessono, a tech policy researcher and Right2YourFace steering committee member. “There’s a growing number of reports of unlawful uses of this tool in Canada. To prevent harms — especially its disproportionate risks to marginalized groups — the government must act now and regulate.”

“Private and public organizations have abundant incentives to develop and implement AI-driven facial recognition technologies that run roughshod over privacy rights,” said Mike Larsen, President of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association. “There is an urgent need for governments to adopt robust, progressive, and comprehensive regulations now, before these technologies become normalized and entrenched.”

In its letter, the coalition highlighted key recommendations for government action purposed by the ETHI Committee.

The coalition hopes that the government will reconsider the recommendations made by the ETHI Committee as it seeks to amend and develop new legislation. Additionally, as regulations to address the issues posed by FRT move through the legislative process, the CCLA and its partners look forward to working with the government to craft a robust regulatory framework.

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The open letter and recommendations can be found here.

About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association 
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.

Media Contact:
media@ccla.org
Alex Nanoff – 613.709.6318