Cameras at Waterloo arena livestreamed unknowing summer camp participants

An undated image of the Waterloo Memorial Recreational Complex. (Source: City of Waterloo)

An investigation in underway after some children taking part in a summer camp at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex were unwittingly livestreamed.

In a news release on Tuesday, the City of Waterloo said cameras owned, installed and operated by LiveBarn Inc. were activated on Wednesday and streamed the summer camp that was taking place at the arena. The cameras cover the entire hockey arena and were installed as part of a streaming partnership between LiveBarn and the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.

Once staff became aware that the cameras were on, campers were moved out of the arena and the cameras were unplugged. LiveBarn has also blocked access to any online video and is working with the city to determine how the livestream started and how long it was available for. The cameras will remain unplugged in the meantime.

Videos streamed by LiveBarn are available by subscription only.

The City of Waterloo said unscheduled livestreams also occurred in other cities where LiveBarn cameras were installed.

In an emailed statement on Thursday, LiveBarn said, in part, “LiveBarn is aware of the situation Waterloo and Kitchener and is actively investigating. We take privacy very seriously, and we intervened immediately once we were notified.”

The statement went on to say a preliminary investigation indicates the incident was due to a scheduling error and no footage was downloaded or shared.

“Our streaming schedules are managed by each venue or their affiliated local sports organizations. In this case, an incorrect schedule was created. With thousands of venues and diverse sports content, accidental human error can occur. We are constantly reviewing our protocols and in light of this situation, we will be looking at implementing further safeguards to prevent future issues,” the statement went on to say.

Families who were taking part in the summer camp have been notified and people who were at the Albert McCormick Community Centre have also been contacted. The city said it does not know if LiveBarn cameras at the Albert McCormick Community Centre were activated, but summer camps are held on the arena floor there.

The incident has been reported to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.