Privacy commissioner launches investigation after facial detection ads pop up in Toronto

On the left is the poster detailing the facial recognition technology behind the billboard, and on the right is an image of the targeted ad. (Reddit/Still_Value9499)

Canada’s privacy commissioner has launched an investigation after a social media user noticed ad billboards around Toronto’s Union Station that said they were using facial detection software.

A Reddit user posted images of the ads and their accompanying signs last month.

“This media unit runs anonymous software, used to generate statistics about audience counts, gender and approximate age only,” the sign reads. “To ensure privacy, no images and no data unique to an individual person is recorded by the camera on this unit.”

The images are then immediately and permanently deleted after being processed in mere milliseconds, according to the sign.

• READ MORE: What to know about the ads that could be recording you on the way to Union Station Bus Terminal

At the time, Metrolinx had confirmed to CTV News Toronto that the billboards are found on the way to the bus terminal, not inside of it.

Now, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s (PCC) office tells CTV News in a statement that the commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, has opened an investigation into “privacy concerns related to digital signs installed near Toronto’s Union Station that allegedly use facial detection software.”

The investigation was launched following complaints from individuals, the office said.

In their statement, the PCC says the digital signs were installed and operated by Cineplex Digital Media (CDM), which was recently acquired by Creative Realities, a digital signage company.

“The investigation will examine whether the technology is being used in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law,” the statement said.

No further details will be provided since there is now an “active” investigation, the PCC office said.

Despite the social media attention last month, a spokesperson for CDM previously confirmed to CTV News Toronto that the billboards were installed about three years ago.

“We strictly adhere to the guidance provided by the (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada), ensuring that our technology is used ethically, responsibly and in compliance with all relevant privacy laws and regulations,” CDM’s Jeevan Vivegananthan said in an email at the time.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Alex Arsenych