Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said that the investigation into hard drive loss highlights important lessons for all organizations to follow. The disappearance of a portable hard drive containing the personal information of 583,000 student loan recipients underscores the need to ensure that formal privacy and security policies are more than simply words on … Read more
On the occasion of International Data Privacy Day, a special report to Parliament by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, with specific recommendations to address current issues surrounding privacy and national security, was tabled in Parliament. Building from consultation with a range of experts and civil society, the office’s report makes a series … Read more
Google’s online advertising service used sensitive information about individuals’ online activities to target them with health-related advertisements, contrary to Canadian privacy law, an investigation has found. In response to the investigation by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Google has agreed to take steps aimed at stopping the privacy-intrusive ads. The full release is … Read more
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart issued a statement in response to requests for her Office’s preliminary comments on Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act: My Office is currently reviewing the Bill thoroughly and, in particular, we are … Read more
The Correctional Investigator of Canada, Howard Sapers, has recommended in his annual report issued that Correctional Service Canada conduct an internal audit of its practices and procedures to protect personal information. In light of this recommendation, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart issued a statement: "We are very pleased that the Correctional Investigator has called … Read more
Tabled in Parliament, the 2012-13 annual report on the Privacy Act is marked by record highs in complaints by Canadians and in reported data breaches by federal organizations. Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart’s final report before the end of her mandate provides details on investigation findings and privacy trends across federal departments and agencies, and also … Read more
The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has more personal information in its database than it needs, according to an audit conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC). The audit, which was tabled in Parliament, followed up on recommendations from a previous audit conducted by the OPC in … Read more
Canada’s access to information and privacy laws should be modernized in order to protect these important rights in the face of dramatic technological change and the demands of engaged citizens, said the country’s access to information and privacy guardians in a joint resolution issued Oct. 9. In their resolution, information and privacy commissioners and ombudspersons … Read more
The first Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) Internet Privacy Sweep, from May 6 to 12, 2013, highlighted shortcomings in how some online organizations provide information about their privacy practices. “While we did see some good examples that demonstrated it is possible to create transparent privacy policies,” Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart said, “unfortunately, we also found … Read more
Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart released the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s (OPC) annual report on the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) for 2012, which details investigations affecting individual online reputation and the growing importance of organizational accountability. This is the commissioner’s last PIPEDA annual report before the end of her mandate and it … Read more
