The RCMP failed to disclose key details about its facial recognition testing project when questioned by Juno News in August, despite having outlined its plans to the federal Privacy Commissioner eight months earlier.
New access to information disclosure reveals that the RCMP had received funding from Defence Research and Development Canada, part of the Department of National Defence, to test facial recognition technology using mugshots from its national criminal record database.
In a December 16, 2025, email to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, the RCMP described its Mugshot Image Quality Assessment (MIQA) project, scheduled to begin in January 2026 and run for approximately two years.
