Thread by @iamgmcnaughton

NEW: Guelph police used Clearview AI, a facial recognition tool, as part of an investigation last year.

The AI tool is under investigation for potentially collecting & using personal info w/o consent, including billions of social media images. (1/7)

guelphmercury.com/news-story/101…

I first got on to this story back in late February, pre COVID-19 lockdowns, following some amazing reporting by the Toronto Star on how numerous law enforcement agencies were using Clearview. (2/7) thestar.com/news/canada/20…

After reading this, I wanted to see if Guelph police had used Clearview as well. When I asked, I was told this would be an onerous task, and to file an FOI. So that's what I did.

FOIs can be slow in the best of times. COVID-19 has made this not the best of times. (3/7)

After several months, I got a response back. I was given a single document: a copy of a letter from Guelph police to the province's Information and Privacy Commissioner, laying out how Clearview had been used: one investigation by the Internet Child Exploitation Unit. (4/7)

However, I still had a ton of questions, so I sent in a request to the chief's office, laying out what I wanted to speak with him about.

After a week, I was told this constituted another FOI request, and it would be at the back of the cue. (5/7)

I appealed this with the IPC because I don't believe questions from the press should be subject to a months-long wait. Shortly thereafter, I received an email with another document.

I don't believe this will be the last I write about Clearview, but it may take some time. (6/7)

I need to give credit where credit is due. I couldn't have done this story w/o prior reporting by some amazing journalists:

- from the @TorontoStar: @wendygillis, @katecallen and @alexboutilier
- from @BuzzFeedNews: @carolineha_, @_loganmcdonald and @RMac18.

(7/7)