As you’re walking through Union Station, you might stop and look at any of the number of advertising billboards that dot the hallways. But what you don’t know is that some of those billboards are actually watching you back.
The billboards are located near the Union Station bus terminal and are owned by Cineplex Digital Media, and according to their website, the company has installed camera sensors that are capable of detecting the faces of people walking past the ads. But those little cameras are raising big concerns for commuters who aren’t even aware that they’re being recorded.
“It’s a human right to privacy, I may not want anyone to know I’m down here, and I don’t know what you’re doing with my facial image or how you’re selling it and all of that,” said one commuter.
CDM maintains that its technology uses facial detection, not recognition and that the images are deleted within milliseconds.
“That’s not good enough,” said Ann Cavoukian, the former privacy commissioner of Ontario.
“In this day and age, if you collect any data relating to individuals, the possibilities are enormous over what you could potentially do with that data, so this is just completely unacceptable.”
CDM says the tech is only used to determine someone’s general age and sex, and it leverages that data to show more relevant advertising to different people. For some, that actually sounds pretty good.
“If I can get tailored ads that are relevant to my life, maybe it’s offers or things that are going on in the market, I wanna see them,” said one woman.
Cavoukian tells CityNews if this case was brought to her she’d rule against the cameras while warning against this rising wave of new tech.
“Privacy forms the foundation of our freedom, it is essential to our daily activities, our life, etc. and increasingly with so much technology taking place that captures data, especially unbeknownst to you, that danger arises, and is growing. That’s what concerns me.”
There is a tiny notice located next to the billboard alerting anyone in the general vicinity of the ad that their image may be captured, but it’s almost too small to even see. Once the camera has taken your photo, there’s no way to opt out of the service, and if you’re standing here long enough, it might actually start to learn your interests.
