Privacy Watchdog Says RCMP’s Use of Facial Recognition Tool Broke Law

Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, Dec. 10, 2019. The federal privacy czar says Canada's border agency violated the law by carrying out overly invasive searches of personal digital devices, in one case viewing a traveller's social media and online banking information. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA—The RCMP broke the law by using cutting-edge facial-recognition software to collect personal information, the federal privacy watchdog has found.

In a report Thursday, privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said there were serious and systemic failings by the RCMP to ensure compliance with the Privacy Act before it gathered information from U.S. firm Clearview AI.