Bell dials down targeted ad program amidst privacy probe findings

By Lesley Hunter

GATINEAU – Bell has toned down its controversial targeted advertising program after Canada’s Privacy Commissioner said that the program's “significant impact on privacy” could result in the matter escalating to the Federal Court.Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien made public the findings of its investigation into the program on Tuesday, noting that the program had sparked “an unprecedented” 170 privacy complaints under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private sector privacy law, since it was first rolled out in the fall of 2013. Known as the Relevant Advertising Program, the initiative tracks the Internet browsing habits of customers, along with their app usage, TV viewing and...