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International Law

The Canadian Privacy Law Blog

The Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Developments in privacy law and writings of a Canadian privacy lawyer, containing information related to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (aka PIPEDA) and other Canadian and international laws.

Post Frequency: 2.3/day

Last Entry: October 07, 2020 at 10:02:01

Ontario Court considers warrantless requests for subscriber information

Posted on April 01, 2008
There's been a lot of debate over whether PIPEDA permits a commercial entity, such as an ISP, to provide certain identifying information to law enforcement without a warrant. Most of the debate centers around section 7(3)(c.1) of PIPEDA, which reads: (3) For the purpose of clause 4...

New technology allows backup tapes to phone home

Posted on March 31, 2008
Lost, misplaced or stolen backup tapes are a common cause of privacy breaches. In response, Fujufilm has developed a LoJack for backup tapes using GPS technology. See: Fujifilm bugs backup tapes with LoJack device The Register. The tapes can be traced and located when being transported...

Google revamps Google Privacy Center

Posted on March 31, 2008
Google has announced a revamp of the Google Privacy Center: Official Google Blog: Privacy made easier Privacy made easier 3/28/2008 07:20:00 AM Posted by Jane Horvath, Senior Privacy Counsel, and Peter Fleischer, Global Privacy Counsel Because we're strongly committed to protecting your privacy, we want to present our privacy practices in the clearest way possible...

What's new from Alberta

Posted on March 31, 2008
There have been some interesting releases from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta's office: OIPC Order P2007-014Posted: Mar/19/2008Adjudicator rules personal information released in contravention of Personal Information Protection ActAn Adjudicator with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has ruled that the Alberta Teachers? Association contravened the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), when it published an article containing the personal information of former members...

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Ontario's Commissioner recommends PHIPA to Americans

Posted on March 31, 2008
Last week's New York Times had an editorial on Safeguarding Private Medical Data: ... These are good steps, but a larger solution is needed. There should be a federal law imposing strict privacy safeguards on all government and private entities handling medical data...

US Patriot Act deters Canadians from Google service

Posted on March 29, 2008
I was interviewed last week by Out-Law.com, a service of UK firm Pinsent Masons, for an article on the recent stories out of Canadian universities about hesitation to use Google's services due to USA Patriot Act concerns. See: US Patriot Act deters Canadians from Google service OUT-LAW...

iOptOut

Posted on March 27, 2008
Michael Geist has been a critic of the legislation enabling the new Canadian "Do Not Call List", which specifically permits calls from polling companies, newspapers, political parties and others. So to enable users to opt out even more, Michael has developed a website that sends specific do not call requests to individual companies and organizations...

Privacy fears delay UK airport fingerprint biometrics

Posted on March 27, 2008
According to Information Age, privacy concerns have at least delayed the implementation of fingerprint biometrics at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 (For some background, see: Canadian Privacy Law Blog: A small step for biometrics; a giant leap for the UK surveillance state)...

Info on participants in kids' summer program found in open trash in Toronto

Posted on March 27, 2008
The Toronto Sun is reporting that information about children who participated in a city-funded summer program was found in an open trash bin in a Toronto apartment building. The Sun also notes that a resident of the building was recently charged for child pornography offenses, but the two do not appear to be related...

Patient files found in vacant Saskatchewan office space

Posted on March 25, 2008
Not good ... Patient files found in vacant Yorkton office space: "REGINA -- Hundreds of patient files have been discovered in a vacant Yorkton office space, prompting an investigation by the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner. An anonymous complaint tipped the commissioner's office to the presence of five large boxes containing what appears to be physician records for as many as 800 or 900 patients in the Yorkton region, Commissioner Gary Dickson said Monday...

Smile, Big Brother's watching

Posted on March 25, 2008
I was interviewed some time ago for a Globe & Mail article on workplace surveillance, which appeared yesterday. The piece discusses keystroke loggers, access cards and video surveillance. See: globeandmail.com: Smile, Big Brother's watching.

Using Facebook's power for YOU.

Posted on March 24, 2008
Rob Hyndman has a great post about Facebook and why he's finding it increasingly boring. The site has loads of users' personal information. It knows who your friends are and who their friends are. It knows what you post and it knows who you are closest with...

Toilet cameras are for research purposes only

Posted on March 24, 2008
After the recent spate of toilet cam stories (Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Montreal mall fake toilet-cam raising concerns, Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Montreal Second Cup owner forced to take down bathroom surveillance camera), I was at first shocked, puzzled and then amused by the sticker that was posted on Boing Boing...

State Dept fires two for snooping into Obama's passport records

Posted on March 21, 2008
For the record, I do not delight in the misfortunes of others but I am glad to see that the US Department of State has fired two people for inappropriately snooping into the passport records of Barak Obama. Access to sensitive records must be adequately policed in order for people to be able to trust the systems that keep the info safe...

UK police urge that young children be added to already enormous DNA list

Posted on March 18, 2008
Just in case you were starting to wonder about the benefits of a written constitution and bill of rights, the UK steps up to the plate: Authorities in England are proposing to collect the DNA of five year olds in case they grow up to be terrorists, thugs, or ne'er do wells...

Anti-money laundering system exposed Spitzer

Posted on March 15, 2008
The downfall of Eliot Spitzer, former governor of New York, was precipitated by a financial information system that has been seen by Canadians as too intrusive to implement in Canada. The system requires financial services companies to report suspicious looking transactions...

UCLA employees being shown the door for peeking at Britney's records

Posted on March 15, 2008
One of the many privacy issues of electronic health records is that "authorized" users of ehr systems are known to look up the records of celebrities and others. The Los Angeles Times reports that 25 employees of UCLA Medical Center are being investigated for peeking at Britney Spears' medical records when she was admitted there...

Illustration of ten largest data breaches since 2000

Posted on March 15, 2008
Flowing Data, which "explores how statisticians, designers, computer scientists, and others are using data to understand more about ourselves and our surroundings", has an illustration of the ten largest recent data breaches. See: 10 Largest Data Breaches Since 2000 - Millions Affected FlowingData...

US Federal Court limits employment drug testing

Posted on March 14, 2008
This is an interesting development: The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled against a municipality that argued it was entitled to maintain a drug-free workplace by requiring all job candidates to be screened for drugs and alcohol...

The New School of Information Security

Posted on March 09, 2008
Adam Shostack, one of the most prolific contributors at Emergent Chaos, is the co-author of an interesting-sounding book being launched tomorrow. Here's the scoop from Amazon: Amazon.com: The New School of Information Security: Adam Shostack,Andrew Stewart: Books Why is information security so dysfunctional? Are you wasting the money you spend on security? This book shows how to spend it more effectively...

Crossing the border? Consider the possibility of laptop searches

Posted on March 09, 2008
As March Break is almost in full swing, it's timely to read Compterworld's recent 5 things you need to know about laptop searches at U.S. borders. State sovereignty usually means that a country has total control over who and what gets in and traditional searches are being extended to laptop searches...

Google/Doubleclick merger expected to clear EU hurdles this week

Posted on March 09, 2008
According to Reuters, the proposed merger of Google and Doubleclick is expected to clear all regulatory hurdles in the European Union despite protests of privacy advocates. See: EU set to clear Google/DoubleClick merger Technology Reuters.

A small step for biometrics; a giant leap for the UK surveillance state

Posted on March 08, 2008
Passengers flying through Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, will be photographed and fingerprinted twice before being permitted to board domestic flights. The British Airport Authority, which runs the new terminal through which all British Airways passengers will travel say this measure is "necessary to prevent criminals, terrorists and illegal immigrants trying to bypass border controls...

Assistant Commissioner takes the show on the road

Posted on March 07, 2008
Over the last couple of days, representatives of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada have had a real blitz through Halifax. Elizabeth Denham, the current Assistant Commissioner responsible for PIPEDA and her predecessor, Heather Black, have been in town as part of an outreach effort to determine what it takes to raise awareness of and compliance with privacy laws in the eastern hinterlands...

Privacy Commissioners Release New Video Surveillance Guidelines

Posted on March 06, 2008
The Privacy Commissioners of Canada, British Columbia and Alberta today have released Guidelines for Overt Video Surveillance in the Private Sector to help businesses consider privacy matters when deciding whether to and how to implement overt video surveillance...

Federal Commissioner drops greeting card inquiry; political parties beyond reach of privacy legislation

Posted on March 05, 2008
Interesting, but not surprising, development: CANOE -- CNEWS - Canada: Privacy czar drops Rosh Hashanah inquiry: "OTTAWA - The federal privacy commissioner has quietly dropped her investigation into complaints that Prime Minister Stephen Harper mailed unsolicited Rosh Hashanah greetings, saying she has no jurisdiction over the matter because political parties fall outside Canada's two privacy laws...

Ontario Commissioner releases detailed report on TTC surveillance cameras

Posted on March 03, 2008
The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has released an extensive report on the use of video surveillance by the Toronto Transit Commission. The report can be found here: Privacy and Video Surveillance in Mass Transit Systems: A Special Investigation Report - Privacy Investigation Report MC07-68...

Dilbert on drug testing, etc.

Posted on March 03, 2008

Court of Appeal considers insured's right of access to IME notes

Posted on March 02, 2008
Last month, the Federal Court of Appeal issued its decision in Wyndowe v. Rousseau, 2008 FCA 39 (CanLII). This case involved an individual's request for access to information generated by a physician hired by his insurer for the purposes of an independent medical examination...

UK school removes CCTV cameras from children's toilets after furious protest from parents

Posted on February 27, 2008
What's the deal with surveillance cameras in bathrooms? I suppose that the WC is the last bastion of privacy, so it was bound to be invaded by surveillance cameras sooner or later. Here's a story from the UK where school officials conceded to furious students to remove CCTV cams from school bathrooms: School removes CCTV cameras from children's toilets after furious protest from parents the Daily Mail

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