MPs call for “national pause” on use of facial recognition, “particularly” by police

The House of Commons ethics committee is calling for the federal government to put in place restrictions and laws on the use of facial recognition technology, including a moratorium on its unchecked use by police.
In a new report released Tuesday, MPs said the government should halt the “use of facial recognition technology by (Federal) policing services and Canadian industries” unless those entities can confirm they are working with the privacy commissioner or have judicial authorization.
Canada’s current legislation doesn’t adequately regulate facial recognition or artificial intelligence technologies, the report said. It warned that without adequate rules, those technologies “could cause irreparable harm to some individuals.”
“Since such a legislative framework does not exist at the time, a national pause should be imposed on the use of FRT, particularly with respect to police services.”
MPs also called for new laws outlining “acceptable uses of facial recognition technology or other algorithmic technologies and prohibit other uses, including mass surveillance.”
Airports and industries should be required to publicly disclose their use of facial recognition, while the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians should review any military or intelligence use of the technology.
The government should disclose its own acquisitions of the technology, and “create a public AI registry in which all algorithmic tools used by any entity operating in Canada are listed,” MPs said.

– More to come