Zest for making sure bad guys get caught’ at Liquor Marts could mean oversharing with police: privacy expert – CBC

Dec 16, 2019

Civil liberties group says ‘good, rights-respecting policies’ don’t stem from fear

The expedited rollout of new security measures at Manitoba’s Liquor Marts presents the danger that data collected about customers could be misused, or that Indigenous people and marginalized groups may be unfairly targeted, warns a data security expert.

“The theoretical risks are that, in their zest for making sure bad guys get caught, that liquor store employees who are acting from a place of precaution and concern for their customers are going to overshare with police,” said Brenda McPhail, who works with the Toronto-based Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

“And the reality is that there are particular kinds of people, particular communities that tend to be targeted for more suspicion by police.”

Just over two weeks ago, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries started scanning the ID of customers entering the Tyndall Market Liquor Mart.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/liquor-marts-security-privacy-rights-civil-liberties-1.5396208