FC: Ontario police install face-scanning technology in casinos

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/newsupdate/20010116story3.html

Tuesday, January 16, 2001; 4 p.m. EST

Ontario to investigate face-scanning at casinos
Privacy commissioner scrutinizes procedure

By James Stevenson
The Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Ontario's privacy commissioner is launching an
investigation into the police use of facial-scanning technology in the
province's casinos.

Obviously disturbed by newspaper reports of the "covert casino
surveillance," Ann Cavoukian compared the digital photos to mug shots
in a police database.

"I have asked the government again and again to please consult with us
before launching any program that may impinge on privacy,"
Ms. Cavoukian said today in a release. "I have no idea if the Alcohol
and Gaming Commission of Ontario or the Ontario Provincial Police even
conducted a privacy impact assessment of this project to assess the
risk to privacy."

[...]

Police say they do not need special authority to operate the system
because there is "no expectation of privacy" at a casino, provincial
police Detective Superintendent Ken Smith told The Hamilton Spectator.

[...]




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