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TAGGED AS PRIVACY



Facebook, OPC square off in court over Cambridge Analytica report

The motto of Facebook Inc. is, famously, “move fast and break things.”  But according to lawyers representing the federal privacy watchdog, the social media giant’s approach is closer to “move slow and block things” when responding to Canada’s attempted regulatory oversight. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

New privacy legislation mixed bag in terms of enforcement, experts say

When the federal government’s proposed new privacy legislation, Bill C-11, was announced in November, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains billed it is an “important step” towards a system “founded on trust with clear rules and enforcement.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

OPC finds Desjardins too passive about data protection prior to 2019 breach

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has released its report into a major data breach at the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, which affected around 9.7 million individuals and included a broad range of personal information such as social insurance numbers and transaction histories.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

OPC supports PIAC call for CRTC to clarify rules for tracing apps

While it believes the CRTC’s existing definition of “customer confidential information” is broad enough to protect the use of the IP addresses and phone numbers of those using the federal COVID-19 alert app and its Alberta ABTraceTogether counterpart, the federal privacy watchdog has said it would support the CRTC explicitly stating so.  This content is …

Journalistic exemption under PIPEDA should apply to Google: CBC

In a case that could determine whether a “right to be forgotten” exists in Canada — and whether search engine results on Alphabet Inc.‘s Google would be considered journalistic and thus exempt from de-indexing requests — CBC/Radio-Canada has told Federal Court that Google search results should fall under journalistic protections.  This content is available to …

OPC expresses concern over privacy rights in government’s PIPEDA update

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has responded to the Liberal government’s proposed new privacy legislation for the private sector — while the office “welcomes” Bill C-11, it questioned the government’s decision to not use a “rights-based approach” for the new privacy rules.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Gov’t tables PIPEDA reform, new consumer privacy legislation

The federal government introduced sweeping private-sector privacy law reform Tuesday, giving the privacy commissioner long-asked for order-making powers and creating new legislation and a new administrative tribunal to govern online privacy. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Government launches Privacy Act consultation

The federal government today announced that it is launching a public consultation on reviewing the Privacy Act, Canada’s public sector privacy law.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or …

OPC seeks right for Canadians to push back on AI decision making 

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has issued its anticipated proposals for regulating artificial intelligence (AI), recommending that Canadians be given the right to contest automated decisions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …

PIAC requests privacy review of contact tracing apps

Six months after the CRTC declined its request to hold an inquiry into contact tracing technologies and negotiations around them between telecom companies and governments, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre has filed a fresh request for an inquiry to the regulator in the wake of the launch of both federal and Alberta-specific apps.  This content …

Facial recognition in malls violated privacy, commissioners say

An investigation into the use of facial recognition technology to analyze age and gender of customers in shopping malls owned by Cadillac Fairview concluded that it violated Canadian privacy law, the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner said Thursday.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

OPC joins counterparts in calling for safeguards on facial recognition and AI

The federal privacy watchdog has joined its counterparts from 12 other countries in calling for “stronger privacy protections and greater accountability” when it comes to the development and use of facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI).  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

OPC failed to observe ‘bedrock rules of evidence’ in court: Facebook

Facebook Inc. is asking a judge to throw out significant chunks of an affidavit from Canada’s federal privacy watchdog in the agency’s lawsuit against the social media giant. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Proposed Quebec privacy law overhaul ‘concerning’: Bell lawyer

Speaking Tuesday morning at an online event, Bell assistant general counsel Ruby Barber said that a proposed overhaul of Quebec’s privacy law — known as Bill 64 — is “concerning” for a number of reasons, including consent requirements that are too stringent. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

OPC launches investigations into cyber attacks on GCKey and CRA

The federal privacy watchdog has launched a pair of investigations into a series of cyberattacks on the Canada Revenue Agency and the GCKey credential used by federal agencies. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Commish ‘frustrated for Canadian citizens’ as privacy laws lag

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened privacy concerns around activities like videoconferencing, ehealth and elearning that have become more prevalent in our lives, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner said in its annual report Thursday.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Videotron launches physical distancing wristband

Quebecor Inc. has launched a wristband that lights up and vibrates when individuals come too close to each other, marketing it as a solution for businesses operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Back to Parliament: your (pandemic) preview

Given the precarious situation around the now-escalating COVID-19 pandemic, what will actually be included in Wednesday’s speech from the throne, and in the government’s priorities in the following weeks, is more uncertain than ever. With a day to go, even the details of exactly what a hybrid and virtual sitting will look like are still …

OPC stresses mandatory breach reporting with new guidelines

The federal privacy watchdog Tuesday published its guidance for private businesses to abide by mandatory reporting of data breaches in order to stay compliant under the federal privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Google not shielded by journalistic protections, OPC tells court

Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien has urged Federal Court to find the country’s private sector privacy law applies to the indexing of online content conducted by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, in a reference case seeking to determine if the law applies to search engine de-indexing and delisting.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Algorithmic policing a threat to freedoms: Citizen Lab report

The use of algorithms and surveillance technologies by police forces in Canada is a threat to fundamental Canadian freedoms, and the country’s laws are not strong enough to ensure the technologies are used within constitutional “boundaries,” according to a report out Tuesday from Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs.  …

OPC happy with tracing app, but not with privacy law

In a letter to shadow ministers, Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien assures opposition MPs that the COVID-19 tracing app launched by the federal government does conform to federal privacy law.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

OPC publishes IoT device guidelines

The federal privacy watchdog published its guidance for manufacturers of so-called Internet of Things devices, in an effort to ensure their compliance with the federal privacy law,  the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Ontario considers privacy overhaul

The Ontario government has launched a public consultation in a bid to improve the province’s privacy protection laws. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

eHealth raises data, privacy, and clinical questions: experts 

eHealth technologies have been widely billed as bridging divides between patients and clinicians, and were recently touted by Alberta premier Jason Kenney as “simply a 21st-century version of calling up the doctor.”  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

CIRA, CIPPIC, BCCLA intervene in site-blocking case

In a much-watched appeal of Canada’s first-ever site-blocking court order, three separate opponents of the order have filed two interventions asking the Federal Court of Appeal to strike down the order.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

UPDATED: OPC now says it supports COVID-19 tracing app 

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has cleared up uncertainty about whether it had approved the federal government launching its contact-tracing COVID-19 app Friday, issuing a statement saying it supports the use of the app. “The federal and Ontario regulators reviewed the app and provided recommendations to their respective governments based on key privacy principles …

CIPPIC and CBC can intervene in de-indexing case, court rules

Federal Court has said that both the CBC/Radio-Canada and the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic at the University of Ottawa (CIPPIC) can intervene in a case that could help determine whether a Canadian “right to be forgotten” exists. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

OPC signs joint letter to video conferencing platforms about privacy concerns

An open letter to online video teleconferencing (VTC) platforms signed by six worldwide privacy agencies, including Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner, is calling on operators to ensure they’re protecting the data and privacy of their users. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Alberta tracing app review could ‘inspire confidence’: privacy expert

In its long-awaited privacy review of ABTraceTogether, Alberta’s COVID-19 contact tracing app, the provincial privacy watchdog has recommended that Alberta Health update its description of the app in online stores, further encrypt “data at rest” in the app, and consult with provincial privacy authorities around the decommissioning of the app. This content is available to …

Civil society orgs call for ban on law enforcement use of facial recognition tech

Some 31 different civil society organizations have signed an open letter to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair calling for a ban on the use of facial recognition technologies by Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Clearview AI pulls its facial recognition tech following OPC investigation

Just over four months after the Office of the Privacy Commissioner announced it was investigating facial recognition technology offered by Clearview AI, the company has told the privacy watchdog it will no longer offer the technology in Canada.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Pandemic has increased need for privacy rights, OPC told Guilbealt 

COVID-19 has made privacy rights even more important, the federal privacy commissioner’s office told Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault in May. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

Privacy commissioners investigating Tim Hortons app

The federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner, as well as the provincial commissioners in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, are looking into the collection of geo-location data by a coffee chain app. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Assess privacy before launching contact tracing apps, advocacy groups say

Contact tracing apps aimed at assisting public health authorities in tracking the spread of COVID-19 shouldn’t be launched before privacy commissioners across the country have performed their assessments, a coalition of civil liberties and open internet advocates have argued in a Wednesday letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

Privacy commissioner hasn’t approved new gov’t contact tracing app

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that in developing the federal government’s new voluntary app to trace exposure to the COVID-19 virus, it consulted the Office of The Privacy Commissioner, but a statement from the OPC indicated the office has not approved the app Trudeau announced Thursday. “The privacy commissioner has been worked with on …

Gov’t launches AI centre in Montreal

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development announced on Monday the launch of what it is calling the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), as well as a research centre to be based in Monteal in cooperation with the Quebec provincial government.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Outdated privacy laws may hamper COVID-19 tracing: Therrien

The outdated state of Canadian privacy laws may harm efforts to launch a contact tracing app intended to combat the spread of COVID-19, as privacy concerns might make Canadians hesitant to use the apps, the country’s top privacy watchdog told the House industry committee on Friday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Facebook to pay $9 million to Competition Bureau after investigation

Facebook Inc. must pay a $9 million penalty to the Competition Bureau after making “false or misleading claims” about the privacy of personal information on the main Facebook platform and its Messenger app, according to a Tuesday release from the Competition Bureau.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

CRTC rejects request to hold contact-tracing inquiry

The CRTC has rejected a Public Interest Advocacy Centre request that it look into the involvement of Canadian telecoms in developing applications to track the spread of COVID-19. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Canadians broadly supportive of COVID-19 tracing apps: survey

Some eight in 10 Canadians support the use of wireless data to track the spread of COVID-19, and 65 per cent of Canadians think it should be mandatory, according to a survey released by three federal senators.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Google’s Sidewalk Labs pulls out of Toronto smart city project

Alphabet Inc.’s Google will no longer participate in the Sidewalk Labs smart city project in Toronto. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. …

PIAC calls for providers to detail COVID-19 tracing involvement

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is asking for all Canadian telecommunication service providers to disclose any steps they’ve taken to trace the spread of COVID-19 and for the CRTC to inquire into all activities.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Facebook targets procedural fairness at OPC in court filing

Facebook Inc.‘s request that Federal Court throw out a report from the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner may highlight the issue of procedural fairness within the OPC, and could be a preview of what the social media giant will want in any update to privacy law, according to several experts who reviewed the filing. …

Alberta privacy commish investigating Telus Health app

Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner will launch two separate investigations related to Telus Corp.’s Babylon Health application. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report …

Gov’t in ‘early stages’ of using cellphone data for COVID-19 tracking: Bains

The federal government is looking at what other jurisdictions are doing when it comes to using cellphone data to track the spread of COVID-19, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

Pump the brakes on COVID data tracking, advocacy groups warn

Despite the extraordinary desire to stop the spread of COVID-19, there is still no justification for mass unwarranted surveillance of identifiable people, according to a joint statement of principles released Wednesday by five different Canadian civil liberties and advocacy organizations.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

OPC reprimanded Bell over repeated delays in 2018: doc

BCE Inc.’s delays and incomplete responses to multiple information access requests drew the ire of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in 2018, according to a document obtained through Access to Information. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Provinces collaborating on cellphone tracking: Tam

Canadian authorities are “pulling together a group amongst the provinces and territories to gauge interest” in using cellphone data to track the spread of COVID-19, Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, said Friday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Quebec City police used location data to track infected individual

In March, Quebec City police used cellphone location data to track and then arrest a woman infected with COVID-19 who refused to self-isolate. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial …

Canadian authorities in talks about COVID-19 tracking apps

Several of Canada’s cities and provinces, as well as the federal government, are in discussions about launching apps that would use location data to track exposure to COVID-19, researchers behind two projects say. Various teams around the world have been working on developing apps to trace the potential spread of the virus — from the …

Telus Health ‘scaling up’ as COVID-19 spreads

Telus Corp.’s years-long investment in e-health and telemedicine has found itself rapidly expanding as the COVID-19 pandemic forces Canadians to seek medical help  without physically visiting doctor’s offices, with downloads of its Babylon Telehealth app increasing six to ten times since the pandemic began, and the company bringing on “hundreds” of new hires. This content …

Rempel Garner calls for transparency on any cellphone tracking 

Conservative industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner said Wednesday that if the federal government uses cellphone location data to track the spread of COVID-19, it should be transparent about the process and work with the opposition to put in place safeguards. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Feds, 4 provinces not looking at COVID-19 phone tracking

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday the federal government isn’t currently considering using location data from Canadians’ cellphones to track the spread of COVID-19, while representatives from the Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut governments also told The Wire Report they don’t have such measures in the works. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Canada could track COVID-19 through cellphones: experts

As reports emerge of countries around the world using cellphone location data to help map out the spread of COVID-19, experts say there are a number of ways in which provinces or the federal government could do the same. There is nothing standing in the way of telecoms or tech companies handing over bulk data, …

Data leaked from 1,200 Koodo customers

Telus Corp. has confirmed that its flanker brand Koodo Mobile was subject to a data breach in February, and that some of the information has been put up for sale “on the dark web.”  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

After seeing Bell’s AI call-blocking methodology, ISCC still unhappy

The Canadian chapter of the Internet Society is not satisfied with what it learned from BCE Inc.‘s plans to use artificial intelligence in a 90 day trial of a new call blocking technology. The telecom had offered to let it and other intervenors in on their methodology, provided they sign a non-disclosure agreement.  This content is …

OPC investigating RCMP over facial recognition

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner today announced it is launching an investigation into the use of facial recognition software by the RCMP.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial …

Privacy commissioners to investigate Clearview AI

An investigation into Clearview AI has been launched by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, as well as three provincial privacy commissioners, due to growing concerns about the use of controversial facial recognition technology. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

BTLR on telecom: a Q&A with Janet Yale 

In a phone interview with Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel chair Janet Yale, The Wire Report delved into the panel’s recommendations on the future of Canada’s telecom sector. The panel’s 198-page report on how to modernize Canada’s broadcast and telecom acts was released on Jan. 29.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Privacy commish launches AI consultation

OTTAWA — Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien is adding artificial intelligence (AI) to his legislative wish list as the new Parliament gets going. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

Canadian law should codify privacy as a human right: OPC

OTTAWA — Federal privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien told reporters Tuesday morning that there is a “crisis of trust” as he launched the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s annual report, citing polling showing that 90 per cent of Canadians are concerned about their ability to protect their privacy.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

AIQ investigation shows need for strong privacy laws, OPC says

At a Vancouver press conference Tuesday, the federal and British Columbia privacy commissioners presented the results of their investigation into AggregateIQ (AIQ) as an example of how investigations into companies can go — correctly — when commissioners have proper privacy laws that allow them to compel cooperation.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Privacy commissioners call for updated privacy law

In a joint resolution, passed in Prince Edward Island last month and announced in Gatineau last week, federal, provincial and territorial information and privacy commissioners are calling on their respective governments to “modernize” various pieces of privacy legislation currently on the books.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Cell data tracking company continues lobby push, despite tough reception

A company that says its privacy-focused software app can tell employers exactly how their employees are using their phones at work said it hasn’t received support for its product in the country it was born in.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Consensus on ‘digital giants,’ data breaches in French debate

Federal party leaders agreed Thursday evening in the last debate of the election campaign on the need for big online companies to pay more in taxes, for the government to invest in the cultural sector and to protect Canadians from data breaches, though they didn’t delve into details. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

CIRA finds 43% of organizations unaware of breach notification rules

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) says in a new report that 43 per cent of the 500 Canadian business and organizations it surveyed were unaware that Canada’s privacy laws require them to report data breaches. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Two arrested in Bell data breach affecting 97k

The RCMP Tuesday announced the arrest and charge of two people in connection with a 2018 data breach exposing 97 thousand BCE Inc. customers.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or …

Political parties’ use of Facebook Pixel violates CASL, CDR says

The Centre for Digital Rights, the non-profit founded by former BlackBerry Ltd. co-CEO Jim Balsillie, is asking the CRTC to agree that political parties engage in what is effectively commercial activity, and that a piece of Facebook Inc. software used by the three main political parties is effectively malware and violates Canada’s anti-spam legislation, known …

Leaders talk Netflix taxes, privacy in TVA election debate

During the first French-language debate of the federal election campaign, party leaders promised to take on digital giants, even as they dodged answering how they would do so without angering U.S. president Donald Trump. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Bell and Stingray partner on targeted ads for radio, audio streaming

BCE Inc. and Stingray Group Inc. have launched a targeted advertising platform that allows ads to be placed on their radio stations, audio streaming apps and podcasts. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …

Green Party platform: no anonymous social media, 5G rollout on hold

The Green Party election platform includes promises to ensure only individuals whose identities have been verified can set up social media accounts and indicates a Green government would require Parliamentary approval to continue the rollout of 5G. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

CBSA moving data to Amazon cloud amid security concerns 

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is seeking assistance in moving certain data on Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud services, just as the e-commerce giant comes under scrutiny after a hack of its servers leaked millions of personal data records at an American bank.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

As tech gains steam, rules on facial recognition still developing

As facial recognition becomes increasingly accessible to police and other authorities, its use is prompting debate about what rules govern or should constrain the technology — a question that is still mostly unanswered in Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Privacy breach reports up five-fold: OPC

Since new regulations requiring the reporting of data and privacy breaches under Canadian privacy law came into effect last November, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has seen a five-fold increase in reports of privacy breaches. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

House committee recommends gov’t uphold data de-identification

In the government’s move to digitize its institutions, the House of Commons ethics committee is recommending that it ensures personal information used for research is anonymized, according to a new report. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

OPC re-issues cross-border data consultations

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has re-issued its consultation on protections for personal information leaving the country, after pausing the process in late May. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Privacy group wants to help OPC form future guidelines

A new group made up of businesses and industry associations wants to help guide the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on issues including data de-identification and a reform of PIPEDA, according to documents obtained by The Wire Report. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Privacy should be considered in competition decisions, conference hears

OTTAWA — The concept of privacy should factor more prominently in competition law when it comes to regulating social media and big data, a conference heard on Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …

Data anonymization network launches amid privacy concerns

A consortium of data stewards launched an informal network last week that looks to promote the anonymization of personal information in Canada in the wake of data privacy concerns sweeping the globe.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …

International legislators flag regulatory options for data giants

OTTAWA – Legislators on Tuesday gave some sense of what regulatory options may be coming down the road for big data and social media giants as lawmakers from Canada and some 11 countries peppered the companies’ representatives with questions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

OPC pausing cross-border data consult after Digital Charter release

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said this week it’s suspending its consultation on protections for personal information leaving the country because the government’s new digital charter initiative may address it in a future law. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

ISED ‘digital charter’ recommends enhancing OPC powers

Innovation Canada is recommending that the privacy commissioner be vested with order-making power to clamp down on non-compliance related to the collection and use of Canadians’ personal information. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Digital rights group studying privacy policies of political parties

The Centre for Digital Rights has hired new lobbyists to help it research the privacy policies of the political parties, a spokesperson told The Wire Report. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

Ontario court certifies class action over Bell’s relevant ad program

A class action against BCE Inc.’s controversial 2013 relevant advertising program will be heard in an Ontario Court. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

OPC will file suit against Facebook before election: Commish

OTTAWA — The Office of the Privacy Commissioner plans to file in Federal Court a lawsuit against Facebook Inc. before this year’s federal election, commissioner Daniel Therrien said Tuesday, following the completion of a year-long investigation that found the social media giant broke Canadian law when it enabled the scraping of data from its platform …

Experts say there is no road map for a Facebook-OPC court fight

If the Office of the Privacy Commissioner takes Facebook Inc. to Federal Court over the social media and data giant’s refusal to implement the office’s recommendations, the case will be the first of its kind — testing the limits of Canada’s privacy legislation, according to legal experts. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

OPC will ask court to force changes to Facebook privacy practices

OTTAWA — The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said Thursday it is turning to Federal Court to force Facebook Inc. to improve its privacy practises, after it found the social media giant broke Canadian law when it scraped data off millions of users on behalf of Cambridge Analytica. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …