Kids Attending Summer Camps at 6 Ontario Venues Unknowingly Livestreamed: Privacy Commissioner

A woman uses a laptop on April 3, 2019. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images

Ontario’s privacy commissioner is investigating after reports that children attending summer camps at six public venues in Ontario were unknowingly livestreamed.

The Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo say they’ve filed reports with the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) after they became aware of the livestreaming. Youth sports streaming company LiveBarn installed and operated the cameras, which are supposed to be activated for the streaming of minor sports games.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario told The Epoch Times in an email that it was in the “early stages” of gathering information to determine the next steps and could share no additional details.

The email confirmed the three municipalities reported the incidents to the IPC.

A City of Waterloo statement said its staff were notified on July 23 that cameras were “active and streaming where summer camps were taking place.”

It said it moved the children out of the arena where the camps were being held and staff unplugged the cameras.

“Those attending summer camp at [Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex] have been contacted for awareness,” the city said in a statement. It also notified those who were attending summer camps at Albert McCormick Community Centre (AMCC).

“While it is uncertain whether the LiveBarn cameras at AMCC were in use, summer camps there also use the arena floor.”

The city said it would share more information with those affected once information is available.

“We are sorry that this issue has disrupted our camps, and recognize that camp parents may be concerned and/or frustrated with the limited information available at this time,” the city said, adding there will be a full investigation with all involved parties.

‘Scheduling Error’

LiveBarn said a “scheduling error” was behind the livestreaming during the summer camps.

“Our streaming schedules are managed by each venue or their affiliated local sports organizations. In this case, an incorrect schedule was created,” the company said in an email to The Epoch Times.

It also said that “with thousands of venues and diverse sports content, accidental human error can occur.”

The company said it disabled the livestreams “immediately upon being notified.”

“We take privacy very seriously, and we intervened immediately once we were notified,” the company told The Epoch Times, adding the footage had not been downloaded or shared.

LiveBarn said it will look at “implementing further safeguards” in light of the situation.

“We also want to clarify that these incidents were isolated and unrelated to one another. We will continue to work with all of our partners involved, to protect against this moving forward.”

Cambridge and Kitchener

A City of Kitchener statement said its staff were notified on July 22 that cameras had been livestreaming at Lions Arena and Grand River Arena.

The cameras had been active since around April 14, according to the city, which “took immediate action” to move them offline during a “thorough review” of third-party-owned streaming services in public facilities.

A City of Cambridge website statement said three of its facilities were involved in live streaming: Hespeler Arena, Dickson Arena, and Cambridge Sports Park. The cameras were active on the facilities’ ice pads, and the streaming was “immediately discontinued” and all LiveBarn cameras in city-owned facilities were turned off once the situation became known.

The city said “numerous procedures” are in place for the safety and privacy of program participants and facility visitors.

“We sincerely apologize for the oversight, regret that this issue has caused concern or confusion by those impacted and are committed to correcting the issue,” the city statement said.

Although parents and guardians can file privacy complaints, the IPC said it isn’t necessary as the incidents are already being investigated.

The agency also said private sector organizations like LiveBarn “may be subject to federal privacy laws.”