A decade-old effort by Canadian officials to use facial-recognition software to analyze passport photos is credited with helping catch a man accused of providing bogus travel documents to criminals.

The controversial facial recognition program Clearview AI was used without approval on at least two occasions by Edmonton city police, triggering an investigation by Alberta’s privacy commissioner.

ICBC is crediting its two-year-old facial recognition program with helping to bust identity thieves who are using everything from fake names to dead children’s identities to get an illegal driver’s ...