A public debate over biometric privacy has erupted in Toronto after a social media post revealed that digital advertising kiosks in the city’s Union Station Bus Terminal are using cameras to perform facial analysis on commuters.
The ad operator, Cineplex Digital Media (CDM), posted a notice on the units stating that the media unit uses “anonymous software.” In a subsequent statement, CDM clarified this is Anonymous Video Analytics (AVA) technology. The company says the system is not conducting facial recognition for personal identification. Instead, CDM says the software generates only aggregate, anonymous statistics about audience counts, gender, and approximate age.
CDM further stated that no unique images or personal data are recorded or stored. According to the company, all imagery is processed in milliseconds and then permanently deleted. The company says the sole purpose is audience counting and that it strictly adheres to guidance from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC).
However, these assurances have not satisfied privacy-conscious commuters and experts. Critics on social media labeled the notice “shady” and pointed out that there is no meaningful way for an individual to opt out of the biometric scan short of avoiding the public transit hub entirely.
Evan Light, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, called CDM’s claim that images are “immediately deleted” potentially “misleading.” He noted that while an image may be deleted after analysis, the camera may be continuously capturing and deleting a person’s image thousands of times as long as they are in view. He also noted that the public often does not distinguish between biometric analysis (determining age/gender) and biometric recognition (determining identity).
This incident recalls a 2018 scandal in which Canadian privacy commissioners found that real estate firm Cadillac Fairview had used similar facial analysis technology in digital kiosks at multiple shopping malls without any consent. The investigation revealed that cameras embedded inside mall directories collected images that were then analyzed using facial recognition software to generate information about shoppers’ estimated age and gender.
The controversy adds to growing concerns about biometric surveillance in Canada, where privacy commissioners have increasingly called for stronger regulations around facial recognition. Alberta courts have upheld bans on certain facial recognition services, and Canadian law enforcement agencies have faced criticism for their use of controversial biometric databases.
Sources: Now Toronto, Reddit, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
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By Cass Kennedy
