Privacy commissioners issue guidelines for government use of Covid-19 contact tracing apps

GATINEAU — The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), along with provincial and territorial privacy commissioners, issued a joint statement last week calling on governments in the country to ensure Covid-19 contact tracing applications respect key privacy principles. “Commissioners felt it important to issue a common statement to Canadians because these applications raise important privacy risks. While applicable privacy laws must be observed, some of them do not provide an effective level of protection suited to the digital environment, as was highlighted in a joint resolution last fall,” reads the statement. The OPC and the other privacy commissioners...