Our federal privacy laws are being changed...and not necessarily for better

[Alies Maybee]

I listened in to a panel of experts last week discussing the proposed Bill C-11. The Bill will mostly replace PIPEDA with 2 main elements:
The CPPA which deals with consent and frankly so many exceptions to consent as to be alarming
A Tribunal, which has some teeth to levy fines etc. but has only one privacy expert required on it... yikes!
There is also a provision for a toothless Whistleblower provision - scary and a dis-incentive to coming forth.
And there doesn't seem to be much to deal with the big tech giants that would really protect us.

The link to the panel is here: https://cfe.ryerson.ca/key-resources/podcasts/protecting-privacy-digital-age

The Bill is supposed to be going into committee and then second reading. I don't know the timing. For any of you interested and/or involved in aspects of this, please pay attention and do some research. We cannot continue to be exposed to things like the Facebook/Analytica scandal. Do let me know what you think and if you are involved. Alies

[Kathleen]

I listened to that discussion too and found it eye-opening and disheartening. I would like to be involved somehow.
I am new to PAN so I wonder, is there something we could/should be doing as a group in regard to the aspects of this bill that can relate to health care? Actually, it seems that most provisions can affect health care - data collection and management, consent, whistleblowing, for example. Kathleen

[Alies Maybee]

Kathleen, yes. All is not lost. I had occasion to alert 2 groups I am involved in nationally who are looking to do something about it. I will keep posting on this. I am not sure what we can do as PAN since we do not advocate per se. We can certainly educate so perhaps that is something. To that end, I posted the link to this enlightening panel on the subject in hopes our colleagues would listen in and participate in these discussions locally. Any other thoughts from anyone?