City of Waterloo receives update on unscheduled arena livestreaming of summer camps

CTV News

18 hours ago

An undated image of the Waterloo Memorial Recreational Complex. (Source: City of Waterloo)
The City of Waterloo says it has received an update from a sports streaming service regarding unscheduled livestreaming of the hockey arena at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex (WMRC).
City officials were first notified of the issue on July 23, when they learned that cameras had inadvertently been streaming footage from the facility without authorization.
At the time, summer camp programs were being held at the complex.
On July 24, the City of Cambridge confirmed the cameras were 'inadvertently' livestreaming children participating in summer camp programs at the Hespeler Arena, Dickson Arena and Cambridge Sports Park. They were also active at facility ice pads.
The equipment is owned and operated by LiveBarn Inc., as part of their streaming partnership with the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.
City staff say the LiveBarn cameras were only supposed to be used during games for the Waterloo Minor Hockey Association and accessible through a subscription.
LiveBarn has since confirmed that the WMRC is the only City of Waterloo arena where this occurred, according to a media release issued Wednesday by the city. The company said none of the content streamed between July 1 and July 23 was downloaded or shared.
However, the city says there is a high likelihood the arena was actively livestreamed and accessible to LiveBarn subscribers between May 1 and July 23.
Officials say additional rental groups may have been affected, and that all impacted facility booking holders and guardians have been notified.
The city says it is continuing to work with LiveBarn, the Waterloo Minor Hockey Association and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario to review procedures and determine whether policy changes are needed.
LiveBarn cameras at all City of Waterloo arenas remain offline.