Use of Clearview AI by 34 Police Forces across Canada
Information Certainty: Documented
Deployment Purpose: Criminal investigations, Surveillance
| Summary |
|---|
| Investigative journalists discovered that at least 34 police forces in Canada, excluding the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, used Clearview AI's facial recognition software, primarily through its unpaid version. The extent of its application varied, with some police departments acknowledging its use only after further investigation. Examples include Edmonton Police using it for an auto theft case, while others like Halifax, Halton, Niagara Falls, London, Ottawa, York, and Peel Regional Police tested the software under various circumstances. Following privacy concerns, the use of Clearview AI has ceased in Canada, prompting an official investigation into its deployment by law enforcement. |
Products and Institutions:
| Product Deployed | Clearview (Software) |
|---|---|
| Institutions ⠉ | Clearview AI |
| Datasets | Clearview AI (Dataset) |
| Search software |
Status and Events:
| Status | Stopped |
|---|---|
| Events | Start (1 October 2019, Documented, , No description) End (29 February 2020, Documented, , Propably stopped earlier, but on this date all of them were stopped definitely) |
| Start Date | |
| End Date |
Users:
Location:
| City | Ottawa Hamilton Edmonton Halifax Mississauga Niagara Falls London (Canada) |
|---|---|
| Country ⠉ | Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada |
Description[ ]
Investigative journalists revealed that Clearview AI's software was used by atleast 34 police forces across Canada. Except for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, all of them were the unpaid version of the software. The degree to which the software was used varies from police force to police force. Often, only after investigating further police departments admitted to the use of Clearview AI. The use of Clearview AI is stopped in Canada and an investigation was launched.
The revelations were prompted by data obtained by BuzzFeed News. According to the data, which was shared exclusively with the Toronto Star, at least 34 police forces across Canada have obtained log-ins and searched Clearview AI’s database in recent months. 1
Exampels:
Edmonton:
“From what we know to date, the Clearview AI technology was only applied to one auto theft investigation in a limited capacity,” said Supt. Warren Driechel, with the EPS’ Informatics Division. 2
Halifax:
After multiple denials to Global News, Halifax Regional Police confirmed on Friday that their officers have been using Clearview AI, the controversial facial recognition software now being investigated by Canada’s privacy commissioner. 3
Halton:
Both Toronto Police Service (TPS) and Halton Regional Police (HRPS) revealed they did begin trials of the app in October of 2019.5
Niagara Falls:
Niagara Regional Police originally told Global News they had not been offered a trial of Clearview AI. On Saturday Feb. 22, 2020, the service reached out to Global News and corrected their earlier statement saying they, in fact, have tested the app. The service says it has since ceased using the technology amid concerns over privacy. 5
London, Canada
Last month, London police told Global News the force had not used or tested Clearview AI before backtracking on that statement in early March. Chief Steve Williams said the London Police Service had never subscribed to Clearview AI or made any purchases as a corporation.
“Initial checks revealed that we were not using Clearview. That was wrong,” Williams said, adding that after police had a published a statement denying the force’s use of the software, a followup investigation revealed otherwise.
“We did that deeper dive and determined that, yes, in fact, some of our officers did access the Clearview website and accessed some of the information on it.” 4
Ottawa:
Ottawa police quietly tested facial recognition software for three months last year, this newspaper has learned.
The pilot, which ended in March of 2019, came before a public dialogue on the use of CCTV cameras in spaces like the ByWard Market after a string of fatal shootings in the tourist hub. Though Ottawa police at the time spoke of the limitations of the surveillance cameras, they did not publicly reveal that the force had been investigating the use of a controversial tool that would go hand-in-hand with such surveillance.
In a statement to this newspaper, police said that “the Ottawa Police Service has explored the use of facial recognition technology as a tool to help solve crimes by utilizing photographs of persons of interests in criminal investigations and comparing them with existing databases collected per the Identification of Criminals Act, RSC 185.” 6
York, Canada:
York Regional Police, which had previously confirmed it wasn’t using the technology, said Friday that individual officers accessed the Clearview AI free trial without “the authorization or awareness of our command.” “As soon as we learned of this, officers were directed to stop using the trial immediately,” said York police spokesperson Andy Pattenden. “We notified the Privacy Commission on Thursday, February 27, 2020, about the unauthorized use by some members of Clearview AI’s free trial.” 7
Peel Regional Police:
Officers in Peel and Halton regions confirmed to the Star Friday that they ran tests of the highly divisive artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition tool. Both have stopped using the technology. 8
References
- ^ x
- ^ Allen, Kate and Gillis, Wendy and Boutilier, Alex. Facial recognition app Clearview AI has been used far more widely in Canada than previously known. , 2020.
- ^ "{Reviews launched after 3 Edmonton police officers use Clearview AI facial recognition software - Edmonton".
- ^ "{Halifax police confirm use of controversial Clearview AI facial recognition technology".
- a b "{Hamilton police have tried controversial facial recognition app Clearview AI, says deputy chief - Hamilton".
- ^ "{London police clear up use of controversial Clearview AI facial recognition technology - London".
- ^ "Ottawa police piloted controversial facial recognition software last year". (2020) <https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-police-piloted-controversial-facial-recognition-software-last-year> Accessed: 2022-06-12
- ^ "{RCMP used Clearview AI facial recognition tool in 15 child exploitation cases, helped rescue 2 kids".
- ^ Gillis, Wendy and Allen, Kate. Peel and Halton police reveal they too used controversial facial recognition tool. , 2020.