Privacy Impact Assessment Summary
Introduction
Under the authority of the Financial Administrative Act, Statistics Canada will be installing a public facing security camera system to the exterior of the Centre for Direct Health Measures (CDHM) Mobile Examination Centre (MEC) to enhance overall security at the MEC as it travels across Canada conducting the survey. The intent is to provide a similar level of security through video surveillance as would be expected at Statistics Canada Head Office and Regional Office locations for the employees working at the MEC and survey respondents attending the MEC. The cameras will be external to the MECs only, where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. No cameras will be placed inside the MECs.
The use of any information collected from the recordings made by the security cameras will be restricted to security- and safety-related investigations and criminal prosecution. Relevant recordings from the security cameras may be disclosed to the RCMP or local police force for the purpose of investigation or prosecution under a criminal code violation. In all cases, any authorized use or disclosure of recorded camera footage will require the approval of the Departmental Security Officer.
Objective
A privacy impact assessment for the addition of security cameras at the Centre for Direct Health Measures (CDHM) Mobile Examination Centre (MEC) was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues with this initiative and, if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.
Description
The cameras will be placed in public areas and not in an area where individuals would have an expectation of privacy. The video cameras provide a similar level of security as those at Statistics Canada Regional or Head Offices. The security cameras will provide:
- Crime Prevention and Detection: Security cameras can deter criminal activities and help in identifying and apprehending offenders.
- Public Safety: Security cameras can monitor public spaces, helping to enhance safety.
- Evidence Collection: Footage from security cameras can be crucial in investigations, providing clear evidence of incidents.
- Emergency Response: Cameras can help security personnel quickly identify and respond to emergencies, such as accidents or natural disasters.
The MEC security cameras will be placed in public areas, not in any area where individuals would have an expectation of privacy; the MEC is prohibited from setting up at schools, places of worship or other sensitive locations. The use of any information collected by security cameras will be strictly restricted to security- and safety-related investigations and criminal prosecution. In all cases, any authorized use or disclosure will require the approval of the Departmental Security Officer. For transparency, individuals will be informed of the presence of security cameras through clearly posted signage where the cameras are located.
Risk Area Identification and Categorization
The PIA identifies the level of potential risk (level 1 is the lowest level of potential risk and level 4 is the highest) associated with the following risk areas:
| a) Type of program or activity | Risk scale |
| Compliance or regulatory investigations and enforcement | 3 |
| b) Type of personal information involved and context | |
| Sensitive personal information, including detailed profiles, allegations or suspicions and bodily samples, or the context surrounding the personal information is particularly sensitive. | 4 |
| c) Program or activity partners and private sector involvement | |
| Private sector organizations, international organizations or foreign governments | 4 |
| d) Duration of the program or activity | |
| Long-term program or activity. | 3 |
| e) Program population | |
| The program's use of personal information for external administrative purposes affects certain individuals. | 3 |
| f) Personal information transmission | |
| The personal information is transmitted using wireless technologies. | 4 |
| g) Technology and privacy | |
| The intention is to install surveillance cameras from a service provider to the exterior of the MEC to provide surveillance of the exterior of the MEC trailers and proximity around the trailers. The cameras are intended to act as a visual deterrent for wrongdoers and as a means to record should there be an emergency of criminal incident at the MEC for investigative purposes (i.e. vandalism and/or theft). | |
| h) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the individual or employee. | |
| There is a very low risk of a breach of some of the recorded video footage/personal information being disclosed without proper authorization. The impact on the individual would be minimal as it would only divulge a digital recording of the individual taken in public spaces on Statistics Canada premises. | |
| i) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the institution. | |
| There is a very low risk of a breach of some of the recorded video footage/personal information being disclosed without proper authorization. The impact on the institution would be negligible as it would only consist of a digital recording of the individual taken in public spaces on Statistics Canada premises. | |
Conclusion
This assessment of the addition of security cameras at the Centre for Direct Health Measures (CDHM) Mobile Examination Centre (MEC) did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards and additional safeguards that have been put in place.