OTTAWA – Canadians concerned that their telecommunications service provider may be sharing their private information with government agencies got an unexpected boost from Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
A report from Interim Privacy Commissioner Chantal Bernier advocating the protection of privacy rights in national security efforts was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, in honour of International Data Privacy Day. That report, Checks and Controls: Reinforcing Privacy Protection and Oversight for the Canadian Intelligence Community in an Era of Cyber-Surveillance, suggests ways to increase transparency, modernize privacy laws and bolster Parliament's oversight role.
One of its recommendations suggests amending the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the federal private sector privacy law, to require private sector companies to publicly report on the use of disclosure provisions that permit organizations to share personal information with authorities without individuals' consent or court oversight.
“Similarly, require public reporting on the use of various disclosure provisions under PIPEDA where private-sector entities such as telecommunications companies release personal information to national security entities without court oversight”, it reads.
As Cartt.ca reported last week, a group of Canadian academics and consumer organizations have petitioned a number of Canadian telecommunications service providers to divulge the extent to which they pass on their customers’ private information to government agencies when asked. They say those practices will be used to shape public policy on how government may best protect Canadians’ security and privacy.
