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Canada’s efforts to update its privacy laws progress at a snail’s pace, prompting a stern warning from its privacy commissioner that Canada stands to lose not only public trust in government but also good standing with global trading partners.
Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien held a news conference Oct. 8 to discuss his annual reporta year after revealing serious weaknesseswithin Canada’s privacy legislation. More than a year later, things haven’t gotten much better.
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“Back in May 2019, the crisis of trust led the federal government to propose a Digital Charter, which includes plans to update PIPEDA. The government has since reiterated its intent to reform both PIPEDA and the Privacy Act,” Therrien noted in his report.
The10-principle Digital Charterpromises to apply to future legislation and regulation, including the suggestion of unspecified serious fines to the private sector for not protecting privacy. But according to the OPC, Canada’s inaction towards making any progress on those efforts is concerning.