IPC - Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario | News Releases

Privacy by Design allows secure third party access energy innovations to grow

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, January 29, 2013 – A Privacy by Design approach is essential for maintaining trust and confidence in the benefits of Smart Grid technology. Utilities allowing third party access to customer energy usage data (CEUD) for new initiatives such as energy conservation products and services must offer consumers end-to-end security. Companies such as app developers, consumer service providers, software vendors, device manufacturers, home security companies and others will benefit from the ability to access data if utilities can confidently protect customer information.

Paper: Privacy by Design and Third Party Access to Customer Energy Usage Data

A convergence of privacy and security yields the biggest gains for business

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, January 28, 2013 – As the value of information and the need to manage it responsibly is growing dramatically, it is vital for organizations to incorporate both privacy and security into their networked data systems and technologies, as the default settings. (Paper)

Award-winning video “Are You Like Darren?” demonstrates the importance of privacy

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, January 25, 2013 – In celebration of International Privacy Day, Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, has selected Ryerson student Michael Chen’s video, Are You Like Darren?, as the winner of “Make the Right Choices” - A Privacy by Design Video Contest.

Pledge to Protect Your Online Privacy in 2013: Five New Year’s Resolutions

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, January 2, 2013 – As we spend more and more time online, people need to be diligent in protecting their online privacy and personal information to avoid identity theft and fraud. Over this past holiday season, many Ontarians received or purchased new smartphones and tablets; consequently, many have spent a significant amount of time adding new applications, but too few have taken the time to consider the privacy risks.

Privacy and Security as the Default Standard for the Health Sector

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, December 14, 2012 – As portable storage devices become increasingly prevalent in the health care sector, concerns also arise regarding the privacy and security of personal health information (PHI). Medical professionals in high-availability data environments, from family doctors to large hospitals, need to ensure data security and protect information through encryption as the default, as the potential for privacy breaches that can be costly and cause lasting damage to their reputation. Taking these steps provides a positive-sum, Privacy by Design approach which benefits both patients and caregivers.

Paper: Encryption by Default and Circles of Trust: Strategies to Secure Personal Information in High-Availability Environments

Operationalizing Privacy by Design: From Rhetoric to Reality

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, ON, December 4, 2012 – Information management and its protection is imperative to any organization’s success, regardless of its size. Privacy breaches can have profound and long-term adverse consequences, including significant financial impact and damage to the reputation and brand of the organizations involved. The international standard of Privacy by Design is an actionable framework which has been put into practice by a growing number of organizations worldwide to make privacy the default setting. In order to further guide organizations through this potentially challenging process, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, has authored a new paper, Operationalizing Privacy by Design: A Guide to Implementing Strong Privacy Practices, which illustrates many examples of the framework being put into action.

Putting control of personal data where it belongs – with the individual!

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Personal information – the new “oil” of the Internet – largely resides with organizations – removed from the individual’s sphere of control. The boundless potential of the Personal Data Ecosystem (PDE) is to place control of one’s personal information into the hands of the individual. The PDE is truly a game changer, and will move privacy well beyond laws, regulations and best practices, to create a privacy-protective relationship between individuals and organizations. The new paper describes the systems and initiatives driving the PDE and how they seek to address the challenge of protecting and promoting privacy, while at the same time, encouraging the socio-economic opportunities and benefits of personal information as a new asset class.

Paper: Privacy by Design and the Emerging Personal Data Ecosystem

Commissioner Cavoukian joins the fight against cyberbullying

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Toronto, ON – CNW – Online social media networks like Facebook and Twitter appear to have become the new schoolyard for bullies. But unlike the tormentors of the playground, cyberbullies are able to lurk in the shadows of anonymity on the Internet, and their cruelty doesn’t stop at the end of the school day. The harm they inflict on their victims can have devastating effects, and for some may lead to the most tragic of consequences, said Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, in a YouTube video released today.

Commissioner Cavoukian urges public institutions to join global Open Data movement

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, September 20, 2012 - Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, is calling on public institutions to take advantage of emerging technologies to make data available to the public, academics, researchers, and industry, for use in new and unanticipated ways. As long as personally identifiable information is protected from such disclosure, the open data movement bodes very well for introducing greater transparency to government institutions.

The global movement towards Open Data makes vast amounts of machine-readable data freely available by way of portals, metadata, and search tools. It is one of the truest embodiments of Commissioner Cavoukian’s concept of Access by Design, by which public institutions proactively release information as part of an automatic process, fostering more transparency and accountability in government.

Commissioner Cavoukian urges organizations to make privacy part of their corporate culture

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

HALIFAX, September 5, 2012 - Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, says it is not enough for organizations to have a privacy policy in place – they must take steps on an ongoing basis to make sure it is reflected in every aspect of their operations. A new paper, released today by the Commissioner at a meeting of the Privacy Section of the Canadian Bar Association, provides a 7-step action plan on how to effectively execute an appropriate privacy policy and embed it in the concrete practices of an organization.

Paper: A Policy is Not Enough: It Must be Reflected in Concrete Practices