Canada's Privacy Commissioner has launched an investigation into the use of software to detect faces on some billboards near Union Station in Toronto.
The controversy first erupted following a Nov. 2 Reddit post that highlighted how the billboards use facial recognition technology to track and analyze data about passersby, including their age and gender.
The post shows images of the disclaimer and a billboard advertising tacos near the Union Bus Terminal, with the camera highlighted in the top left corner of the photo.
Billboard company Cineplex Digital Media (CDM) said the technology only detects a person's presence and estimates their age and gender. CDM added in a press release that no images or personal data are stored and all processing occurs within milliseconds.
“After receiving complaints from individuals, Canada's Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne has launched an investigation into privacy concerns related to digital signs installed near Toronto's Union Station that allegedly use facial detection software,” said Vito Pilieci, senior communications adviser for Dufresne's office, in a statement to Global News.
Piliecchi said the investigation will examine whether the technology is used in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Canada's federal privacy law for private sector companies.
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He added that because this is an active investigation, the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner cannot provide additional information.
Last month, Ontario's privacy commissioner said he was treating the situation as a “possible investigation.”
As concerns have arisen, privacy experts said in a press release that the security of the technology largely depends on corporate guarantees.
“The justification for using this technology is that no personal information is stored,” said Charles Finley, founding executive director of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“We have to trust a private company that this is what's going on and not something else, and that's a leap of faith from a technology and privacy standpoint that a lot of people, frankly, might not be willing to take.”
Global News has contacted CDM for comment on the investigation.
Days after the Reddit post went viral, Cineplex issued a press release announcing the completion of the sale of Cineplex Digital Media to US-based Creative Realities on November 7th. It is unclear how the change in ownership might affect oversight or Canadians' privacy practices as recorded by the system.
However, this is not the first time Canadians have raised concerns about biometric data collection.
In 2020, an investigation by the federal privacy commissioners of Alberta and British Columbia found that Cadillac Fairview used facial recognition at mall kiosks to analyze images of five million shoppers without meaningful consent.
The investigation prompted calls for stricter regulations and explicit permission before collecting such data.
—with files from Global News' Prisha Dev
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
