Toronto Hit With Facial-Scan Ad Privacy Probe

Canada’s federal privacy watchdog has opened a formal investigation into a set of digital billboards in downtown Toronto after concerns surfaced that the signs were using facial-detection technology to analyze passersby.

The issue came to light when a Reddit user posted photos of the displays and small notices attached to them. The notices stated that the screens used “anonymous software” to estimate crowd size, gender and approximate age. According to the signage, no identifiable images were retained; instead, data was processed in milliseconds and immediately deleted.

Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, confirmed at the time that the displays were positioned along the walkway leading to Union Station’s bus terminal, not inside the terminal itself.

In a statement to CTV News, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) said Commissioner Philippe Dufresne has launched an investigation following complaints from members of the public. The probe will look into “privacy concerns related to digital signs installed near Toronto’s Union Station that allegedly use facial detection software.”

The OPC said the screens were installed and operated by Cineplex Digital Media, a company recently acquired by U.S.-based Creative Realities. The investigation will assess whether the technology complies with Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Because the inquiry is active, the commissioner’s office said no further details will be released at this time.

Despite renewed public scrutiny, Cineplex Digital Media previously told CTV News Toronto that the signs have been in place for roughly three years. In an earlier email, spokesperson Jeevan Vivegananthan said the company follows all guidance from federal privacy regulators and uses its analytics tools “ethically, responsibly and in compliance with all relevant privacy laws.”