A Toronto Police Service spokesperson says a nondisclosure agreement with the provider of the technology, known as IMSI catchers or “Stingrays,” prevents the force from releasing those details. Toronto police and RCMP officers deployed controversial surveillance technology in 2014, capturing cellphone data on more than 20,000 bystanders at malls, parks and even a toy store. ( Marcus Oleniuk / Toronto Star File Photo )The RCMP has operated IMSI catchers on behalf of municipal or regional forces, including Toronto’s. After years of pressure from media organizations, civil liberties groups, and the privacy commissioner’s office, the RCMP revealed in 2017 that it owned 10 IMSI catchers. “I would hope that Toronto Police Service has a very public consulting process” for the policies it is developing, says Parsons.

Source: thestar March 26, 2019 09:00 UTC