Privacy impact assessment summary for the Ecological Monitoring Program remote camera

Description

Ecological Monitoring provides the information required to effectively manage national parks and national park reserves. The Canada National Parks Act states that:

Maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity, through the protection of natural resources and natural processes, shall be the first priority of the Minister when considering all aspects of the management of parks.

Wildlife cameras are tools used to collect data to create long-term indicators on wildlife populations through statistical analysis. Therefore, wildlife cameras are often used for monitoring and reporting on important ecological parameters within heritage places managed by Parks Canada. Some Parks Canada national parks and trails are equipped with motion-activated cameras to monitor wildlife or habitat uses (wildlife camera trap operations). The images captured by the cameras are collected under the authority of section 8 of the Canada National Parks Act for wildlife studies, surveys and monitoring purposes. Wildlife cameras also indirectly capture images of humans.

Currently, Parks Canada staff must manually review and classify millions of photos per year. This process is both time-consuming and resource intensive. Automated image recognition tools offer a powerful solution to reduce the time and effort required for photo analysis.

Why a privacy impact assessment was completed

A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the Ecological Monitoring Program Remote Camera Initiative is required to evaluate the proposed use of computer vision and machine learning software solutions, either as web-based platform or locally installed software designed to significantly improve the efficiency of wildlife camera trap projects. The PIA will assess the level of risk associated with using AI and third-party platforms in the collection, use, and disclosure of photos that may incidentally capture identifiable individuals during wildlife camera trap operations.

Additional information

The PIA found that the risk levels associated with the Ecological Monitoring Program Remote Camera Initiative are low or non-existent, with no compliance issues identified.

The PIA identifies that privacy contract clauses will be included to ensure that any third party we enter into an agreement with follows the Privacy Act and Treasury Board Secretariat guidance on how to handle personal information. All contracts with third parties that involve the handling of personal information (such as photos) will include privacy clauses in accordance with Government Contract Regulations. Third parties are also evaluated against the Government of Canada’s IT security requirements and will follow the Policy of Government Security for the retention and disposal of the images.

A privacy notice statement will be published on Parks Canada’s website, and a sign will be deployed at the park’s entrance to inform visitors they might be on camera.

Related personal information banks

Ecological Monitoring Program Remote Cameras Initiative PC PPU 075

For more information about this privacy impact assessment

In order to have access to the full PIA, please submit a formal request at the following link: Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request (apps.gc.ca).