Give telecoms more power to deal with cyber threats: bankers’ association

OTTAWA — Telecoms should be able to block “bad data” and share information about threats with customers, such as banks, the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) told a Senate standing committee 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 …

Broadcast lobbying jumped ahead of Creative Canada release

Creative organizations stepped up and added to a surge in lobbying activity in the broadcast sector leading up to the release of the results in the Heritage Minister’s review of Canadian content in the digital age last month. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Privacy sweep finds issues with some educational apps: OPC

Some applications used by children in the classroom didn’t receive top marks on privacy in a recent global sweep, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) said in a Tuesday press release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Court issues no-cost orders for customer IDs of multiple ISPs

The Federal Court has made its first major disclosure orders for subscriber information since internet service providers (ISPs) were temporarily barred from charging for that 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 need. Take …

8,000 Canadians affected by hack, not 100,000 says Equifax

The number of Canadians affected by Equifax Inc.’s privacy breach has been determined to be significantly lower than originally reported, the company said Monday in a press release. 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 …

Bring border privacy issues under NAFTA: Geist

Because some aspects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) raise privacy concerns, the Canadian government should bring border search and related privacy matters to the trade negotiating table, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist told the committee studying device searches on the border. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Telus leads in end-of-summer lobbying activity

Telus Corp. was far and away the busiest industry stakeholder when it came to reportable lobbying activity with the federal government last month, filing a total of 16 communication reports in August — twice as many as lobbying runner-up Rogers Communications Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Privacy commish vows more ‘proactive enforcement’

OTTAWA — The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) will not wait for the government to give it order-making and monetary enforcement powers to move toward proactively raising complaints instead of passively waiting for them to enter the door, it said in its annual report Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Google linking names under publication bans with articles: report

Algorithms used by Alphabet Inc.’s Google have been linking stories regarding individuals whose identities are under court-ordered publication bans in searches involving their names, the Ottawa Citizen has found. 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 …

Equifax breach hits 100,000 Canadians

Equifax Inc., the credit reporting agency that was the subject of a massive hack earlier this month, said it believes about 100,000 Canadians are affected. 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 …

Canada risks U.S.-EU trade conflict on data flows: Geist

OTTAWA — Canada should be cognizant of a potential multi-jurisdictional conflict on how data is handled as it renegotiates the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist told parliamentarians studying amendments to the regional trade agreement on Monday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Limit info on smartphones at U.S. border: privacy commish

OTTAWA — Canadians should be exercising a fair amount of caution when crossing the U.S. border with personal mobile devices in the face of American laws that allow their customs agents nearly unfettered access to those devices and the information contained within, the federal privacy watchdog affirmed Monday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Regulatory rejigs, cultural changes in store as Parliament resumes

Everything old is new again when it comes to telecom and media issues percolating in Ottawa this fall, from reviews and renegotiations of old legislation and trade agreements, to court battles litigating long-simmering personnel disputes and CRTC decisions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Equifax investigation a ‘priority’ for privacy commish

The privacy commissioner’s office is investigating the Equifax Inc. breach. 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. FREE TRIAL Two weeks free access …

Increase transparency in RCMP stingray use: OPC

The federal privacy commissioner’s office has found that while RCMP use of IMSI catchers wasn’t lawful in some instances, the agency has since changed its policy, and the office was satisfied by RCMP responses regarding the collection of third-party information and interception of voice and text communications. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

U.S. gov’t sued over warrantless device searches at border

American civil liberties groups are suing the U.S. federal government over warrantless searches of travellers’ personal devices at the border. 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 commish issues Equifax advice; Canoe reports breach

The federal privacy commissioner is urging Canadians who are worried about whether their personal information was affected by the Equifax Inc. hack to contact the company directly. 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 …

Canadians affected by Equifax breach

Canadians are among the millions of consumers whose information was compromised in a massive hack of Equifax Inc., a U.S. company that sells credit monitoring and anti-identity-theft products. 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 …

Gov’t releases data-breach reporting rules

Organizations that suffer a breach of users’ personal information must conduct a risk assessment to determine if it poses a “real risk of significant harm” to the affected individual and, if so, report it to the federal privacy commissioner and the people involved as soon as possible, according to new rules on data breach reporting. …

Conservatives more likely to support border device searches: survey

Supporters of the federal Conservative party are more likely than those with other party affiliations to approve of warrantless searches of electronic devices by Canadian border officers, according to a survey by Forum Research. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

SS7 protocol concerns intensifying: security expert

Despite recent calls to limit encryption by some government officials and intelligence heads worldwide, the use of end-to-end encryption may help alleviate security concerns related to a decades-old mobile network infrastructure known as Signalling System 7 (SS7), which in recent months has been the subject of security vulnerabilities exploited by hackers. This content is available …

CSE watching proposed U.S. IoT security bill

Four United States senators are proposing a bill that would require minimum cybersecurity standards for Internet of Things (IoT) devices bought 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 need. Take a free …

Transparency reporting in Canada: still opaque?

Without an Edward Snowden-like scandal, exposing inappropriate government access of citizens’ personal information, the current landscape may be as good as it gets for transparency reporting in Canada, a privacy expert says. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

BlackBerry call encryption approved for U.S. government

Blackberry Ltd. will now be able to provide its mobile device cybersecurity technology to the United States government. 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 …

G20 heads call for lawful access cooperation in anti-terror statement

A joint statement from G20 leaders stemming from their two-day meeting last week in Hamburg, Germany, pledges co-operation on fighting terrorism in part by looking for links with internet service and online platform providers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Canada in top 10 for cybersecurity: ITU report

Canada is a leading country in its commitment to cyber security, according to a new report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 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 …

STB data measurement complex task, group says

Activity by a working group tasked with studying the implementation of an audience measurement system via set-top boxes is slow, but steady, TV providers told the CRTC, with user privacy coming to bear as a top concern for those involved. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

SCC sets Canadian jurisdiction in Facebook privacy case

OTTAWA — Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that British Columbia has jurisdiction over a privacy case involving Facebook Inc.’s sponsored stories, a decision that experts say could have wider implications for online contracts between consumers and large companies. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Privacy improvements in Bill C-59, but some concerns remain: experts

In their initial impressions of the government’s biggest attempt to reform national security legislation in decades, privacy experts said they have some worries about the new bill, including data sharing and the handling of publicly-available information. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

CSE to work more directly with telecoms on network security

OTTAWA — New national security legislation proposed Tuesday will enable Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) to be more active in protecting the country’s telecommunications networks, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan said during a briefing with media. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Civil liberties groups back privacy commish on device searches

OTTAWA — Grouping electronic devices with other goods when it comes to searches at the border is an affront to Canadians’ right to privacy and border laws must be clearer to protect citizens from unreasonable searches of their devices, civil liberties groups argued in front of a Parliamentary committee Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca …

Privacy commish suggests ‘partial solution’ for border device searches

Canada’s privacy commissioner is asking the House of Commons committee on public safety and national security to amend a proposed law that governs border searches and is recommending a way that it can be enforced. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

IMSI catchers difficult to identify: Rogers’ Cawthray

TORONTO — IMSI catchers present a challenge for telecoms because identifying them while they’re operating is like finding a “needle in a haystack,” said Stewart Cawthray, general manager of enterprise security at Rogers Communications Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Public conversation needed on right to be forgotten: Google Canada

OTTAWA — Before any right to be forgotten rules are instituted in Canada, there needs to be a fulsome public discussion, Colin McKay, head of public policy and government relations at Alphabet Inc.’s Google Canada, told parliamentarians Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Regulations could help IoT device security, privacy: experts

GATINEAU, Que. — The advent of 5G networks and the accompanying rise in Internet of Things (IoT) devices will bring different and heightened security and privacy risks, experts told a conference focusing on the next generation of wireless networks. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Privacy commish issues guidance on device searches at border

The search of personal electronic devices when crossing the Canada-U.S. border is an “extremely privacy intrusive procedure,” Daniel Therrien, the federal privacy commissioner, has told the House of Commons committee on public safety and national security. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Canadian cyber security spending lagging: survey

Investments in cyber security are not keeping up with the pace of potential future hacking attempts at Canadian companies, according to a new survey. 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 …

Connected car privacy code work detailed

The University of Toronto’s Institute of Technology will helm an initiative to develop a privacy code of practice for connected vehicles, according to the office of the federal privacy commissioner, as it announced this year’s recipients of funding through its Contributions Program. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Bell suffers breach of customer information

BCE Inc. said Monday that an anonymous hacker has gained access to customer 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 need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE TRIAL Two weeks free …

CWTA predicts ‘adversarial’ relationship if OPC power boosted

OTTAWA — Canada’s privacy commissioner should not be vested with order-making and fining power because doing so would harm the collaborative relationship his office has with wireless companies, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) told Parliamentarians studying the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Privacy proponents point to problems with connected cars

Connected cars “raise significant privacy concerns,” Vincent Gogolek, executive director of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, told a Senate committee Tuesday.

“The same technologies that allow for safer, more convenient and entertaining vehicles are also capable of amassing vast databases of information,” he said.

Nat’l security committee recommends status quo for lawful access

OTTAWA — Members of a House of Commons committee studying Canada’s national security framework said they weren’t compelled to increase the ability of law enforcement to obtain subscriber data following their review, instead recommending the status quo.

Gov’t info requests to Facebook fall in second half of 2016

11th domestic Internet exchange point opens in Moncton

Atlantic Canada is gaining a second Internet exchange point (IXP), in Moncton, N.B., the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) announced in a Wednesday press release.

The Moncton hub, “where independent networks can interconnect directly to one another, providing high-bandwidth and low-latency access at a lower cost than traditional transit,” is the 11th in Canada, joining the Halifax, N.S., location on the east coast.

‘Unprecedented’ collaboration necessary for connected cars: lawyer

OTTAWA — Canada must develop a national policy and form a multi-party committee involving different levels of government to help inform decisions on autonomous and connected cars, a Senate committee heard Tuesday.

Federal gov’t investigating source of IMSI catchers on Parliament Hill

The IMSI catchers found to be in use in Ottawa around Parliament Hill are not being operated by a Canadian agency and an investigation has been launched to find the culprits, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday.

“The activity that was reported last evening does not, I repeat, does not involve a Canadian agency like the RCMP or CSIS,” Goodale told reporters in Ottawa, according to a transcript.

IMSI catchers in use around Parliament Hill: CBC

IMSI catchers are in operation around Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, according to an investigation by CBC/Radio-Canada’s news division.

Also known as stingrays, the devices mimic cell phone towers and collect information from mobile phones in a given area.

Appoint cyber czar, endorse certification program: Chamber of Commerce

OTTAWA — Cyber security is everyone’s responsibility, but the federal government needs to take a leadership role to help stem the flow of money draining from the Canadian economy due to attacks on businesses, according to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Canada loses about $3.12 billion per year due to cyber crime, or 0.17 per cent of gross domestic product, the business association said in a report released Monday.

Ontario court bars FBI from handling Canadian data in piracy case

Ontario’s highest court has reversed an order by a lower court to allow a U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation team to investigate and prepare a report on seized data in a copyright infringement case.

The case involves the now-defunct file-sharing site MegaUpload, its founder Kim Schmitz and data from 32 servers in an Equinix Inc. data centre in Toronto retrieved in 2012 by the RCMP. At the request of the FBI, the Minister of Justice in 2013 applied to have the servers transferred to the United States.

U.S. House votes to repeal ISP privacy measures

The United States House of Representatives has voted to repeal the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s privacy measures for Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Privacy commish funding work on rules for connected cars

OTTAWA — The federal privacy commissioner will be working with stakeholders to develop a “code of practice” to help address privacy concerns around connected and autonomous vehicles, a Senate committee heard Tuesday.

OPC, CIRA-supported initiative maps out Canadians’ Internet traffic

A tool that allows users to see exactly where their Internet traffic is travelling, backed partially by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, has received a facelift make it easier to use for Canadians.

Encrypted messaging apps no place to hide, says U.K. official after killings

Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp messaging service should not be a place “for terrorists to hide,” according to U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who appeared on a Sunday BBC program and called for co-operation from communications companies in the wake of last week’s terror attack outside the British houses of parliament.

Supreme Court weighs privacy of text messages

OTTAWA — There should be a reasonable expectation of privacy from search and seizure not just for the recipient of a text message but for the sender as well, a lawyer argued in front of Canada’s highest court Thursday, after a lower court used unlawfully obtained texts from a recipient's phone to convict the sender in a firearms trafficking case.

Twitter releases 10th transparency report

Twitter Inc. had to respond to 51 requests for Canadian user's information and 11 requests for account removal in the latter half of 2016, according to the social media company’s latest transparency report.

Out of the 51 government and “non-government legal” information requests, affecting 52 accounts, Twitter produced information 80 per cent of the time, the report, released Tuesday, said.

U.S. Senate votes to repeal ISP privacy rules

The United States Senate voted Thursday to repeal broadband privacy rules the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put in place last year, Reuters reported Thursday.

NAFTA renegotiation could affect privacy rules on Canadian data: Geist

The upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could include pressure to change rules requiring some information to stay in Canada, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist told a Parliamentary committee.

Facebook beefs up lobbying squad

Facebook Inc. is increasing its government relations presence in Ottawa, with three new registrations filed with the lobbying commissioner’s office last month.

According to the federal lobbyists’ registry, the social media giant has contracted the services of U.K.-based consulting firm AA Access Partnership Ltd., bringing the number of consultants registered to lobby on behalf of Facebook to nine.

Privacy commish looking into cellphone searches at border

The Office of the Privacy Commission (OPC) is looking into searches of electronics by the Canadian Border Services Agency.

OPC spokeswoman Tobi Cohen confirmed in an email Friday “that we have received a complaint and have therefore opened an investigation related to the search of electronic devices at the border by the CBSA.”

She declined to offer any further details about the compliant or the investigation.

Privacy commish asks Canadian gov’t to push for U.S. privacy protection

The federal privacy watchdog is asking the government to petition its counterparts in the United States to include Canada in a list of countries whose citizens are afforded protection for their personal information.

In a Tuesday letter to the ministers of public safety, foreign affairs, national defence and justice, privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said he “strongly urged the Government of Canada to ask the United States to add Canada” to the list of countries designated under legislation that expands privacy protection to non-U.S. citizens.

FCC stays data security provisions in ISP privacy rules

The United States’ telecom regulator is holding off on elements of privacy rules for Internet service providers (ISPs) adopted last year.

Larger fines needed to deter privacy breaches: B.C. privacy commish

OTTAWA — Fines levied against companies who breach privacy rules in Canada need to be increased to help prevent breaches in the future and to come in line with European Union data protection rules, British Columbia’s privacy commissioner told a Parliamentary committee Tuesday.

Canada should consider ‘right to be forgotten’: former privacy commish

OTTAWA — Privacy experts raised the idea of a Canadian “right to be forgotten” in front of a House of Commons committee studying the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) Tuesday, though they disagreed about the incorporation of the concept into Canadian law.

Canadian court orders another worldwide search result takedown

A Federal Court judge on Monday ordered a foreign website to be taken down and some of the content it published removed from search engines internationally due to a violation of Canadian privacy law, adding to the number of cases in which of a Canadian court has made such an extraterritorial order.

Trump raising concerns about Internet traffic passing U.S.: advocates

In November 2016, a group of Internet experts met in Toronto to discuss how to address the issue of Canadian Internet traffic travelling to the United States, which some say raises data privacy concerns that have now been amplified with the election of U.S. president Donald Trump.

Pricing for 5G unclear, but cost per GB could drop: Deloitte expert

There are still many unknowns as wireless carriers move to 5G networks in the coming years, including questions about how much companies will charge for service, though prices have the potential to drop and carriers are unlikely to charge a premium, according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.’s Duncan Stewart.

FCC asked to pull back ISP privacy rules

A group representing American telecom companies has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider the broadband privacy rules the United States regulator imposed last year.

Facebook reports 1K gov’t info requests in first half of 2016

Canadian law enforcement and government agencies made over one thousand requests for customer information to Facebook Inc. in the first six months of 2016, four times more than the company received during the same time period two years ago.

Facebook released its most-recent Global Government Requests report on Dec. 21. The transparency report shows that between January and June of last year, agencies made 1,004 total requests, involving 1,205 accounts.

Hold consultation on IMSI catcher use, Rogers tells gov’t

The government should consult industry, privacy experts and Canadians on the use of IMSI catchers in Canada, Rogers Communications Inc. said in its submission to the federal government’s national security review.

Rogers said the use of IMSI catchers, also known as stingrays, is not currently detectable on a wireless network and can interfere with customers’ communications.

Class-action suit filed after Yahoo hacks

Yahoo Inc.

Change in law enforcement powers should not harm businesses: ITAC

The government should ensure that any changes to powers granted to law enforcement should not undermine the innovation economy and the privacy of Canadians, the association representing the information and communications technology industry argued in a submission Thursday to the government’s national security consultation.  

Another Yahoo breach involved 1 billion accounts: reports

Yahoo Inc. has found a new security breach that has compromised more than one billion user accounts, a figure that is double the breach it discovered only a couple of months ago, according to reports Wednesday. 

‘Proceed cautiously’ in expanding lawful access: privacy commissioners

OTTAWA — The federal government hasn’t made its case for why law enforcement and intelligence agencies need stronger powers to intercept, decrypt and share citizens’ information, the country’s privacy watchdogs said Tuesday, as they shared their submission to the federal government’s national security framework review.

Telecoms must tell customers about info disclosure: privacy commish

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has clarified its rules around whether telecom companies have to tell customers if they have disclosed their personal information to other parties.

The OPC said in a decision published last month that it had received a complaint from a customer of a telecom company which had “refused to advise her of whether her personal information, or information about her account or devices, had been disclosed to other parties, including law enforcement and other state agencies.”

FCC approves ISP privacy rules

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a proposed set of new rules Internet service providers (ISPs) must follow when handling customer information.

In a Thursday press release, the United States telecom regulator said it is adopting rules that “ensure broadband customers have meaningful choice, greater transparency and strong security protections for their personal information collected by ISPs.”

Court order gives OPP cell numbers for ‘new investigation technique’

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said it has obtained the cell phone numbers of potential witnesses of a homicide through a court-processed production order.

In a news release Wednesday, the OPP said wireless providers were compelled to provide the numbers so it can send texts to people who were in the vicinity of the last known location of 65-year-old Frederick Hatch, who was last seen alive in Ottawa on Dec. 16, 2015, his body discovered a day later. 

Government should have cyber security czar, senators hear

OTTAWA — Canada should have a federal “cyber czar” focused on the issue of cyber security, Peter Sloly, the former deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service and an executive director at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., told senators Wednesday.

The cyber czar would “overarch ministries and other divisions of government in order to co-ordinate and develop a level of cyber capacity and update the strategy on a continual basis,” he said.

Cavoukian launches international privacy organization

Ann Cavoukian, executive director of the Privacy and Big Data Institute at Ryerson University, is founding an international privacy organization, according to a press release Monday.

The International Council on Global Privacy and Security, by Design organization aims to “dispel the commonly held view that organizations must choose between privacy and public safety or business interests,” the release said.

Yahoo breach could jeopardize sale, Verizon says

The breach of millions of Yahoo Inc. email accounts revealed in late September could affect the acquisition of the company by Verizon Communications Inc., Reuters reported.

FCC proposes privacy rules for ISPs

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has outlined a set of potential new rules governing how Internet service providers (ISPs) deal with the privacy of consumer information.

According to information about the proposed order posted on the FCC’s website Thursday, the new rules “would give consumers greater control over their ISPs’ use and sharing of their personal information, and provide them with ways to easily adjust their privacy preferences over time.”

Privacy commish in contact with Rogers, Yahoo about breach

The federal privacy commissioner’s office said it has been in touch with Rogers Communications Inc. and Yahoo Inc. regarding the breach of millions of Yahoo email accounts revealed last week, though it declined to comment on more recent revelations of Yahoo spying on user emails.

Privacy commish looking for transparency compliance ‘in coming months’

OTTAWA — Companies who are not already proactively complying with the federal government’s transparency reporting rules are running out of time before the Office of the Privacy Commissioner begins looking for ways to enforce the guidelines with legislation.

Most health devices don’t explain personal info collection: OPC

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said Thursday that 62 per cent of the health devices it examined as part of a global sweep didn’t “adequately explain how personal information is collected, used and disclosed.”

Lessons to be learned from Ashley Madison breach: privacy commish

The company behind Ashley Madison, a website aimed at adulterous interactions that suffered a massive customer data breach last year, had “inadequate security safeguards and policies,” according to an investigation conducted by the federal privacy commissioner’s office.

Password disclosure law up for ‘public discussion’: Goodale

OTTAWA — The federal minister of public safety indicated Wednesday a willingness to engage with a freshly passed resolution from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) calling for a law to compel people to hand over passwords to devices seized under a search warrant.

Voltage appealing disclosure costs in piracy case

Rogers Communications Inc. should not be able to charge for the release of the personal information of a customer accused of violating the copyright of Voltage Pictures LLC, the film production company said in new court documents appealing a July federal court decision.

Text messages not private once sent: Appeals Court

Ontario Appeals Court judges have ruled that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for text messages once they’ve been sent, according to a recent decision.

Last month, a majority decision ruled that Nour Marakah, who was convicted of multiple firearms offences that were “ultimately dependant on the contents of text messages” between Marakah and his former co-accused, Andrew Winchester, couldn’t challenge the evidence obtained from Winchester’s phone, even though evidence from his own phone was ruled as inadmissible.

Court OKs disclosure of customer info in Voltage case

Rogers Communications Inc. must disclose the personal information of a customer accused by Voltage Pictures LLC of violating its copyright, according to a court decision that experts said clarifies the notice-and-notice system isn’t a good vehicle for such disclosures.