Federal Government Standing Committee Report on Facial Recognition Technology

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics has released a report on Facial Recognition Technology and the Growing Power of Artificial Intelligence:

"The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing use of facial recognition technology (FRT), as well as recent investigations by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) into FRT, led the Committee to study FRT and the growing power of AI."

"This report looks at the benefits and risks of FRT and its use in specific contexts, such as law enforcement. It explores other AI governance issues, such as procurement and public investment in this area. It also looks at legislative and other solutions to reassure Canadians that the use of FRT or other AI tools in Canada is done responsibly and respects their rights."

"Taking into account witness testimony, the Committee makes several recommendations to improve the federal legislative framework that applies to FRT and AI technologies, including the recommendation to impose a moratorium on the use of FRT in Canada, as recommended by a majority of witnesses."

The Committee held 9 public meetings as part of this study and heard from 33 witnesses, including the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, representatives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other experts and stakeholders. It also received 8 briefs. The witness testimony heard by the Committee is available on the Parliament of Canada’s website.