Cadillac Fairview collected more than five million images for facial recognition

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner says mall and commercial property operator Cadillac Fairview contravened Canada’s privacy laws by not obtaining meaningful consent from shoppers to collect millions of images that were analyzed with facial recognition technology.

An investigation by the OPC – alongside provincial counterparts in Alberta and B.C. – found CF had collected more than five million images through small, inconspicuous cameras at 12 of its malls. CF then used facial recognition technology to generate information about shoppers in the images, such as their estimated age and gender. CF claimed it was not collecting personal information and that the images were deleted after being analyzed, but the OPC found that the information generated by the analysis was being stored in a central database. CF said it was unaware that the database existed, though the OPC also took issue with that, as its ignorance created a greater risk for access by unauthorized parties or a data breach.

Cadillac Fairview also claimed shoppers were made aware of this activity through decals on doors that referred to its privacy policy, an effort privacy commissioners deemed insufficient for adequately informing shoppers or obtaining their consent. In response, Cadillac Fairview has removed the cameras from its malls, though the OPC said it is concerned that Cadillac Fairview has refused its request to commit to ensuring meaningful consent is obtained from shoppers if it redeploys the technology in the future.

Breakfast Culture expands client network for D&I work

Toronto boutique communications, marketing and diversity consultancy Breakfast Culture has signed six new clients. Ad agency No Fixed Address, along with non-profits Ontario AIDS Network and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network have signed on for Breakfast Culture’s Diversity and Inclusion Audits, a service that measures and benchmarks diversity within an organization and helps create a strategy and implementation plan to improve it. It has also brought on the Canadian Professional Sales Association and an unnamed Canadian grocery chain for its DEI training services, while production studio Media One will be participating in the “woke marketing” consulting services.

With its new business, Breakfast Culture is also bringing on a new associate: Scott Dagostino, a former journalist, magazine editor and manager of Toronto’s iconic queer bookstore Glad Day.

An FCB creative is tops at Next Creative Leaders

Elma Karabegovic, an ACD at FCB Toronto, is among the 10 winners of this year’s Next Creative Leaders competition. Presented by The One Club and The 3% Movement, Next Creative Leaders recognizes women and non-binary creatives on the rise in the industry, including copywriters, art directors, designers and ACDs, as well as CDs and design directors with less than one year in the role. A no-free portfolio competition, entrants are judged on four to six pieces of work, as well as their own creative background and how they and their work are pushing the industry forward and making a positive contribution in terms of diversity, mentoring and advocacy.