CCLA reacts to OIPC (BC) Announcement on Liberal Party of Canada’s Use of FRT

TORONTO —Tashi Alford-Duguid, Staff lawyer at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) made the following statement:

The Liberal Party of Canada has just confirmed that it has stopped its use of facial recognition technology (FRT) for identification purposes in nomination races in BC, while being investigated by the province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner. This investigation followed a June 2021 letter by the CCLA to the President of the party, demanding it cease its use of FRT.

While the decision to stop use of FRT in BC is an important step, it also means that the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC will not have an opportunity to complete its investigation of potential abuses of FRT during political nominations. We continue to call for the Liberal Party of Canada to cease its use of FRT in all their nominations across the country. Facial Recognition Technology raises serious concerns about invasions of privacy and reliability and is prone to considerable racial bias—which leads to discriminatory results.

The CCLA is today renewing calls for a national moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology pending a critical pan-Canadian discussion about how this technology should be used. Political parties at all levels across the country must respect individuals’ rights to privacy, autonomy, and personal integrity, by not collecting or using any person’s ‘facial fingerprint’.

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About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.

Media Contact:
media@ccla.org
Alex Nanoff – 613.709.6318