These days, AI cameras track our every move, facial recognition software identifies us in public spaces, and predictive algorithms decide who gets flagged as a “risk,” and the line between safety and surveillance is growing thinner by the day.
The conversation around surveillance technology isn’t new, but the tools are becoming more sophisticated, more invisible, and more deeply embedded in everyday life. And that’s exactly why we need to talk about it now.
Because at the heart of it all, is a question we can no longer afford to ignore: How do we keep people safe without violating the rights that make them free?
The Rise of AI-Powered Surveillance
Across Canada and around the world, AI is powering a new era of monitoring. Public transit systems are installing emotion-detection cameras (yes…that’s EMOTION. That’s not a typo. “Emotion-detection cameras” are real and increasingly used in public infrastructure. These AI-powered systems attempt to identify emotional states, such as anger, fear, or stress, based on facial expressions or body language. While marketed as safety tools, these technologies raise serious concerns about accuracy, privacy, and bias, particularly in public spaces where consent is rarely obtained).
School boards are considering biometric scanners to “increase student safety.” Police departments are using algorithmic tools to identify potential suspects , or preemptively flag people based on historical data.
Some of these tools do have value. Technology can help find missing persons faster, track illegal activity more effectively, or alert authorities to real-time threats.
But when surveillance becomes constant, opaque, and automated, it opens the door to serious ethical concerns, especially for communities that have already experienced disproportionate scrutiny.
Who’s Being Watched, And Why?
Surveillance is rarely neutral. Data shows that facial recognition software tends to misidentify Black and Indigenous people at significantly higher rates. Predictive policing tools are often trained on datasets full of historic bias, leading to a self-reinforcing loop of over-policing in marginalized neighbourhoods.
The more we rely on these systems, the more we risk building a future that automates discrimination while claiming to prevent it.
And the most troubling part?
Many of these systems are privately owned, their algorithms hidden behind proprietary protections. There is no public oversight, no democratic review, just silent decisions being made about real people, with real consequences.
Balancing Safety and Civil Liberties
Safety is important. We all want to protect our communities, our children, our shared spaces. But safety can’t come at the expense of civil rights.
That’s not safety, that’s control.
Balancing the two requires more than good intentions. It requires:
- Clear, public-facing policies about where and how surveillance tech is used
- Transparency around what data is collected, stored, and shared, and for how long
- Oversight committees that include civilians, privacy experts, and ethicists, not just law enforcement or tech vendors
- The right to opt out, wherever feasible, and informed consent wherever it isn’t
- Strict bans on surveillance tech in schools, especially tools that monitor children’s emotional states, movements, or behaviours without consent
A Canadian Opportunity
Canada has an opportunity to do this differently. Our legal frameworks, social values, and privacy protections create a strong foundation for ethical governance of technology. But we must be proactive. Once surveillance infrastructure is embedded, it’s difficult to undo.
We must ask:
- Who is this technology meant to protect?
- Who is most likely to be harmed by its errors?
- And what values are we reinforcing when we normalize being watched?
Ethical surveillance isn’t just about what tech can do, it’s about what it should do, and who gets a say in that decision.
How the Foundation for Ethical AI Can Help
The Foundation for Ethical AI exists to support governments, school districts, and public institutions in evaluating AI tools before implementation, not after harm is done.
We provide:
- Policy reviews
- Community consultations
- Ethical audits
- Education and training sessions
- Frameworks for risk assessment and mitigation
If you’re considering surveillance technology in your institution, ask us first. Together, we can find solutions that keep people safe, without turning them into suspects.
Because true safety is built on trust, not tracking.
And ethical AI begins with protecting the rights of the very people it claims to serve.