A number of civil liberties advocates have voiced privacy concerns over the use of Wood Buffalo RCMP body cameras which was recently announced. According to Sharon Polsky, director for the Rocky Mountain Civil Liberties Association, “Like all technology, it offers conveniences, it offers benefits. With every technology, and every convenience, there’s a cost, and there’s other downsides that have to be balanced out.” Polsky claims there are many questions that still need to be answered before the plan to place body cameras on RCMP officers should move ahead. These questions include when the devices will be turned on, the storage of the recordings, how the recordings will be used, and who they can be shared with.

There is no dispute that surveillance technology has taken off in recent years, and this can create privacy concerns for citizens. Polsky explained “Not only are you being recorded, but your electronic activity is being monitored, and your communications are being monitored, and all of these separate, distinct parts of your life, that are being recorded, can be connected after the fact. There’s a lot of concerns, and a lot more people need to become aware of these issues, and start speaking up.” So far further details about the body camera experiment have not been released by the RCMP. The national feasibility study and test project includes Wood Buffalo RCMP as well as two detachments in Nova Scotia. Right now the Wood Buffalo RCMP has said that the protocol for recording storage and retention were based on the guidance provided by the Privacy Commisioner for Canada. Advocates are not necessarily against the use of the body cameras, but they want to be clear about what the guidelines and privacy protections are to ensure that citizens are protected.