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International Law

The Canadian Privacy Law Blog

The Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Developments in privacy law and writings of a Canadian privacy lawyer, containing information related to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (aka PIPEDA) and other Canadian and international laws.

Post Frequency: 2.3/day

Last Entry: October 07, 2020 at 10:02:01

Google starts blurring faces on Street View

Posted on May 15, 2008
According to the CBC, Google has started implementing an algorithm to automatically blur peoples' faces in Google Street View. This follows complaints that the online service violates privacy by showing people without their consent. See: Google starts blurring faces on Street View...

London supermarket secretly photographs alcohol/cigarette buyers, wants national database

Posted on May 14, 2008
If you guessed this scheme was developed in the UK, you guessed correctly: London supermarket secretly photographs alcohol/cigarette buyers, wants national database - Boing Boing Budgens, a London supermarket chain, secretly records biometric facial photos of people who buy cigarettes and alcohol and compares it to a database of known underage buyers, and they're hoping to link their database with other grocery chains around the country...

Band "shoots" video by sending Data Protection Act requests to CCTVs that caught them performing

Posted on May 09, 2008
This is too funny. Apparently Manchester band "The Get Out Clause" recorded a music video by performing in the vicinity of CCTV cameras and then requesting the footage under the UK Data Protection Act. Band "shoots" video by sending Data Protection Act requests to CCTVs that caught them performing - Boing Boing

Ontario and B.C. Privacy Commissioners issue joint message: personal health information can be disclosed in emergencies and other urgent circumstances

Posted on May 09, 2008
This just crossed the wires and is likely of interest to those who followed the earlier discussions about using privacy legislation as an excuse for inaction. CNW Group OFFICE OF THE INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER/ONTARIO Ontario and B.C. Privacy Commissioners issue joint message: personal health information can be disclosed in emergencies and other urgent circumstances Ontario and B...

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Apologies for the light blogging

Posted on May 09, 2008
Sorry for the lack of posts during the past week. I was in Geneva for business and didn't have any time to keep my ear to the ground for privacy happenings. But I'm back and I hope to catch up ...

Turkey to implement privacy laws in bid to join EU

Posted on May 03, 2008
The parliament in Turkey has introduced privacy legislation, as part of the country's move to join the European Union. See New law to safeguard privacy.

Avoiding camera noise for anonymous photos

Posted on May 02, 2008
You learn something new every day. Apparently each digital camera, in addition to EXIF info, has its own ditigal signature in the form of digital noise in your photos. A bunch of your photos can be correlated and can then be used to connect them to a particular camera...

First stats on National Security Letters

Posted on May 01, 2008
According to EPIC, the first public reporting on National Security Letters has been released, showing over twelve thousand NSLs were issued in 2006. FISA Orders Up, Government Reporting on National Security Letters Begins. According to the 2007 FISA report (broken link), the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 2,370 application to conduct electronic surveillance and physical searches in the United States in 2007, up from 2,176 applications approved in 2006...

A new place to put cameras: Lollipops!

Posted on April 30, 2008
England, well beyond the cutting edge of surveillance, has found a new place to put cameras: in the lollipop-shaped signs used by crossing guards. Campaign to lick lollipop rage UK news guardian.co.uk For generations, lollipop men and women have shepherded schoolchildren safely across roads armed only with their trusty signs...

Air Marshals denied boarding due to no-fly list

Posted on April 30, 2008
I think I may need an "Ironic" tag for this one ... The Washington Times reports that it is not uncommon that Air Marshals are denied boarding on aircraft because they are misidentified as terrorism suspects and other baddies. Hmm. See: Air marshals grounded in list mix-ups - - Breaking News, Political News & National Security News - The Washington Times...

If you handle personal information, you'd better know the exceptions in privacy laws

Posted on April 29, 2008
If you handle personal information and only read one privacy law article, this one should be it: Far too often, bureaucrats, cops and others use poorly understood privacy laws as a justification for inaction. Maybe it's just that they don't fully understand the myriad rules and the multiplicity of exceptions...

Blawg Review #157

Posted on April 28, 2008
Michael Fitzgibbon was just called upon to prove his dedication to legal blogging: He put together a very interesting Blawg Review while trying to clear his desk to take a vacation. Check it out: Thoughts from a Management Lawyer: Blawg Review #157.

California takes lead on DNA crime-fighting technique - Los Angeles Times

Posted on April 27, 2008
In an effort to fully exploit DNA databases, investigators in California are planning to look for partial matches from crime scenes. If a forensic sample partially matches a sample on file, it likely means that it was left by a relative of the person on file...

Wacky Canadians Still Believe in Privacy

Posted on April 27, 2008
Washtington Post columnist Al Kamen has picked up on the Canadian Privacy Commissioner's response to the Secretary of Homeland Security's statement that fingerprits are not "personal" (see: Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Privacy Commissioner's response to US Homeland Security Secretary's statement on biometrics)...

Radwanski's lawyer to challenge admissibility of evidence

Posted on April 27, 2008
According to Canwest, the defence lawyer for George Radwanski is talking about having certain evidence against him excluded. See: Lawyers to challenge eligibility of evidence against Radwanski. I'm not sure why anyone involved on his behalf would be speaking to the media, as no trial is scheduled and I can't imagine that reminding people of the saga would be a good thing for George...

Feds to leave disclosure of data security breaches to businesses: legislative plan

Posted on April 26, 2008
One thing that was relatively consistent in the submissions at PIPEDA's five year review was to follow in the footsteps of more than half the US states to require notification of security and privacy breaches. Canwest is reporting on leaked draft legislation which will surely disappoint many in the privacy community...

Supreme Court of Canada throws out evidence of drugs obtained by fly-by sniff

Posted on April 25, 2008
In a decision released today, the Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a decision that excluded evidence obtained in a sweep of an Ontario school by sniffer dogs. In this case, the police were invited by a school principal to walk a sniffer dog through the building to enforce the "zero tolerance" policy for drugs...

The irony of privacy enhancing technologies

Posted on April 24, 2008
I reported last month that the Information and Privacy Commissioner has issued a report on the proposal to dramatically increase video surveillance on public transit in Toronto. (Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Ontario Commissioner releases detailed report on TTC surveillance cameras)InterGovWorld...

Micromanaging employee expenditures

Posted on April 24, 2008
I'm not sure how I feel about this. Apparently, MasterCard is introducing a feature for corporate cards that allows employers to set very strict parameters on spending. Economy class? Ok. Business class. Nope. HoJo's? Ok. Strip clubs? Not so much. The card also has detailed reporting that allows employers to keep close tabs on spending...

Hong Kong ex-privacy boss found guilty in dishonest expense claims

Posted on April 23, 2008
It appears that Canada is not the only place to experience an expeses scandal within the office of its Privacy Commissioner. (See Radwanski Scandal.) Apparently the Deputy Commissioner of Hong Kong is awaiting sentencing for submitting dishonest expense claims...

Vista features that phone home

Posted on April 23, 2008
Softpedia has an interesting article on the twenty features in Windows Vista that collect and transmit potentially personally identifiable information back to Microsoft: Forget about the WGA! 20+ Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft - From your machine! - Softpedia ...

UK authorities reported to have signed pact to share real time video with foreign intelligence services

Posted on April 22, 2008
The Inquirer is reporting that UK authorities have signed a secret pact that would allow real-time access to video surveillance feeds to foreign intelligence services. The scheme is said by critics to be a violation of UK data protection laws. See: Secret pact allows the US to spy on UK motorists - The INQUIRER...

NJ court says law enforcement needs a warrant for subscriber information

Posted on April 22, 2008
Some interesting news from the courts of New Jersey. The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that law enforcement need warrant or subpoena to get information about internet users. This goes against jurisprudence from the US Supreme Court, but may be the beginning of a trend (fingers crossed)...

US border agents given unfettered access to travelers' laptops

Posted on April 22, 2008
A US Federal Appeals Court has overruled a lower court ruling that had previously restricted laptop searches at the border. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a unanimous three judge ruling, held that border agents do not need any probable cause to rummage through portable electronics...

PIPA review released in BC

Posted on April 21, 2008
The Special Committee of the BC Legislature reviewing the Personal Information Protection Act has recently released its report: April 17, 2008: Special Committee Recommends Changes to Streamline B.C.?s Private-Sector Privacy Law Media Releases Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act 4th Session 38th Parliament Committees SPECIAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CHANGES TO STREAMLINE B...

Liveblogged at Leg@l IT 2008 ? Social Networking and Privacy

Posted on April 21, 2008
I've never been liveblogged before, but there's a first time for everything. I'm currently in Montreal at http://legalit.ca/en/2008program. I had the honour of being on a panel with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Jennifer Stoddart, and Professor Pierre Trudel...

One Nation Under CCTV graffiti in London

Posted on April 18, 2008
World famous British street artist Banksy has a message about the widespread CCTV in England and has chosen a large wall as the medium to express it. Via ONE NATION UNDER CCTV graffito in London - Boing Boing. See also Banksy pulls off daring CCTV protest in London - Telegraph...

Privacy Commissioner Concerned With Ticketmaster's Privacy Practices

Posted on April 18, 2008
The Privacy Commissioner doesn't often "name names", but she's named Ticketmaster in this most recent finding released from her office. Here's the press release: Privacy Commissioner Concerned With Ticketmaster's Privacy Practices, Encourages Companies to Adopt High Privacy Standards Across Operations OTTAWA, April 18, 2008 ? Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart expressed concern with the information collection and privacy practices of a major online ticket vendor...

Incident: Ontario patient files found in dumpster

Posted on April 17, 2008
The Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner is investigating after old medical records were found in a dumpster behind a coffee shop by a retiree. The affected patients will have to be notified as the information is subject to PHIPA, which contains Canada's only mandatory breach notification...

Britis local council uses criminal law to spy on school place applicants

Posted on April 16, 2008
Here is a shocking example of why intrusive powers need to be carefully circumscribed and subject to judicial oversight, otherwise they will be abused. A local council in the UK (not surprisingly) has used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, designed for serious crimes and terrorism, to surveil a three-year-old to determine if her parent's were misrepresenting place of abode to get into a better school...

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