Durham Police Confirms it used Clearview AI Facial Recognition Technology

Four police forces in the GTA have confirmed their use of the controversial technology.

From: Toronto Star

Durham Regional Police have confirmed that their officers used the controversial Clearview AI facial recognition technology. Clearview AI uses images scraped from social media and other websites to cross-reference uploaded images of people. The system reportedly has three billion photos on its database.

The police force was testing the app to determine if it could assist with local investigations. Several police forces have confirmed their use of Clearview AI after a report from the New York Times revealed that numerous police services in North America were using the controversial technology.

Toronto Police, Peel Police and Halton Police have all confirmed that they also used the technology. All of the police forces have stopped using the tool, and are waiting for a decision from the Privacy Commissioner of Ontario for further direction.

It should be noted that the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police have not disclosed whether their officers have used or tested the controversial technology.

Teen Sexually Assaulted At Oshawa Centre

Oshawa – Police are investigating a report that a teenager was sexually assaulted by a stranger at the Oshawa Centre.

The young woman was walking in the mall with a friend around 5 p.m., June 30 when she was approached by a suspect who touched her inappropriately, Durham police said. The male followed the victim as she left the building and touched her again, then fled back inside, police said.

The suspect is a white male in his late teens, about five-foot-seven with dirty blond long hair and a scruffy appearance. He wore a grey shirt, khaki shorts and a ball cap and carried a long board skateboard.

Police are trying to determine if any other similar incidents occurred. Call 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5341 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) .