The Edmonton Police Service's (EPS) pilot project for AI-powered facial recognition technology on body-worn cameras faces a potential timeline clash with a mandatory privacy review. The pilot launched on city streets in early December, but the required assessment was submitted to Alberta's Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) just one day prior.
Privacy Review Timeline Lags Behind Pilot Launch
In an email to Postmedia, the OIPC confirmed it received the police assessment on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 2, 2025. This was the day before the pilot, involving roughly 50 officers equipped with the new Axon body cameras, officially began. The OIPC stated that its review of the assessment might not be finished until after the month-long pilot project concludes at the end of December.
Police officials had presented the submission as part of ensuring the "proof of concept test" was fair and respected privacy. However, the tight submission window creates a scenario where the technology is being tested on Edmonton streets before the independent privacy regulator has completed its evaluation.
Why a Formal Assessment Was Mandatory
The Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) requires public bodies to submit a privacy impact assessment for new projects involving personal information, especially when significant changes occur. The OIPC clarified that this project triggered the requirement for two key reasons.
First, the pilot involves the collection and use of highly sensitive biometric data—specifically, facial images. Second, it employs innovative technology, including artificial intelligence. The OIPC noted that assessments for projects with a public interest component and involving AI are given priority, but the review process still takes time.
How the Edmonton Police Pilot Will Work
The pilot project, running throughout December 2025, is designed to test whether the bodycam technology can accurately interface with police mugshot databases. Its stated purpose is to identify individuals deemed potentially dangerous based on past interactions and those with outstanding warrants for serious crimes like murder, aggravated assault, and robbery.
Officers wearing the cameras will not receive real-time match alerts. Instead, a specialized team trained in facial recognition will review potential matches after the fact. Police have emphasized that all data collected will be encrypted and stored within Canada. After the test, any still images used for facial recognition analysis will be deleted, though the original video footage will be retained according to existing EPS regulations.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between rapid technological adoption in law enforcement and the procedural safeguards designed to protect citizen privacy. The Edmonton pilot's operation ahead of a completed privacy review places it in a unique, and potentially contentious, procedural position.
