New Democrats call out Conservative inaction on digital and privacy file

Borg to Conservatives: You’re falling asleep at the digital switch

Following the release of a study by the Privacy Commissioner revealing data leakages by six of Canada’s most popular websites, New Democrat Digital Affairs Critic Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne-Blainville) is calling on the Conservative government to catch up with new digital realities.

“Since the Conservatives took power in 2006, they have done nothing concrete to keep Canadian privacy law up-to-date with the digital realities of the 21st Century. Studies show Canadians are losing confidence in the protection of their personal information online,” said Borg.

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which protects online privacy with respect to personal information, is subject to a 5 year statutory review that should have started in 2011. The government is dragging its heels in calling the review. Meanwhile Bill C-12 presents outdated recommendations - several generations old in digital terms -from the 2006 PIPEDA review.

“Growth in the digital economy is inseparable from user confidence that personal information is secure on the internet, whether on social media sites, doing banking or shopping online. The Conservatives have not taken this issue seriously and now we see serious leakages of personal information as tracking technologies become increasingly sophisticated,” said Borg.

Anti-spam legislation, adopted by the House of Commons in 2010, still hasn’t come into effect as Canadians’ inboxes continue to be clogged by unsolicited emails.

“I will continue to press this government on their digital delay until we see some real action to protect the personal information of Canadians,” said Borg.