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Public Opinion Surveys Contributions Program: Privacy Research and Related Knowledge Translation Initiatives Funded by the OPC
Contributions Program 2009-2010 – Research funded by the OPC
Research Projects funded under 2009-2010 Contributions Program
The OPC's Contributions Program is intended to fund independent privacy research and projects. The opinions expressed in the reports and related summaries are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Summaries have been provided by the project authors. Please note that the projects appear in their language of origin.
- May 29, 2009 news release announcing the awarding of $454,000, under the OPC 2009-2010 Contributions Program.
Canadian Association of the Deaf
Deaf Perspectives on Identity Theft and Privacy project
The objectives of the Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD) with this project were:
- to offer education on identity theft, fraud, scams and privacy issues to Deaf, Deafened and Hard of Hearing communities and;
- to educate various stakeholders (e.g. police, banks, Internet service providers) on accessibility issues in regard to Deaf individuals.
The CAD held a one-day national workshop with Deaf leaders from across Canada and invited agencies such as the RCMP, the Royal Bank of Canada, and the Office of Consumer Protection to make presentations on issues concerning identity theft and related frauds, and at the same time have an opportunity to hear issues that Deaf individuals are facing in order to protect themselves or report crimes. At the end of the conference, Deaf leaders went home to set-up similar meetings/workshops in 12 cities across Canada within 6 months following the conference.
These locals workshops were considered a great success as the CAD realized that many Deaf individuals were not familiar with issues concerning privacy, identity theft, and scams due to a lack of access to information that makes them vulnerable to such crimes.
The CAD also successfully established rapports with banks and law enforcement agencies to improve access to information and services for Deaf individuals. It was an excellent start to the dialogue. The CAD is encouraging local leaders to continue to work with the local agencies and businesses to establish improved accessibility for Deaf individuals.
International Association of Privacy Professionals Canada (IAPP Canada)
The IAPP Canada KnowledgeNet Expansion and Promotion Initiative
IAPP Canada’s KnowledgeNet program brings together privacy and data protection professionals for education and networking with peers. KnowledgeNet meetings feature experts’ presentations on topics of timely relevance, and the chance for attendees to ask questions, share experiences, mingle with colleagues, and make new acquaintances. The meetings occur regularly, are free of charge and usually include complimentary breakfast or lunch.
As soon as the OPC contribution was announced, IAPP Canada received a tremendous amount of support from volunteers and enthusiastic privacy professionals from other cities as well. As a result, IAPP increased the number of Canada-based KnowledgeNet meetings from 2 meetings a year based in Toronto to 16 meetings through to mid-March 2010 across the entire country. New cities that hosted and seem committed to hosting future KnowledgeNet meetings include Edmonton, Montreal, St. John’s NL, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Victoria.
In total, approximately 450 people attended KnowledgeNet meetings with the aid of the OPC contribution.
Coopérative radiophonique de Toronto (CHOQ-FM)
French Awareness Campaign on the Protection of Personal Information and Privacy
The provincial privacy awareness campaign, “On vous observe, voyez-y!” which took place March 10–26, 2010, is a preventive, informative and interactive popular education and social marketing initiative to increase public awareness about privacy rights and obligations. The campaign is aimed at a broad audience: Franco-Ontarians, including young people, newcomers, parents, students and organizations that provide services to this clientele.
Through the development of various awareness and communication tools, such as radio vignettes, the Internet, posters, postcards, viral videos and more, CHOQ-FM 105.1 and GrandToronto.ca launched an Ontario-wide multi-platform campaign in MICRO member community radio stations, Francophone newspapers, television, Francophone schools and online.
The campaign kicked off at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, and the promoter was honoured to welcome the following special guests: Ms. Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs; Ms. Chantal Bernier, Assistant Privacy Commissioner of Canada; and Mr. Jacques Saint Laurent, President of the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec. The event wrapped up with a special broadcast of a round table discussion live from Toronto City Hall.
Option consommateurs
Awareness Workshop on Identity Theft and Seniors — Prevention is Better Than Cure
Option consommateurs put together a workshop and information kit on identity theft aimed at seniors.
The workshop taught participants about what identity theft is (a crime that happens without their knowledge when someone fraudulently obtains their personal information) and made them aware that many people are victims of identity theft. The information provided to participants came from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre (which receives reports of identity theft), Quebec’s Sécurité publique (which conducted a survey) and the Ontario Research Network for Electronic Commerce(ORNEC).
Participants learned how to prevent identity theft. They were taught that by refusing to give their personal information when it is not appropriate, asserting their rights and adopting safe behaviour they can prevent identity theft and even reduce the number of these types of crimes.
Lastly, participants were shown how to periodically check whether they have been victims of identity theft—a measure that can minimize damage—and what to do if they are victims. With this advice, participants are better equipped to protect themselves and deal with situations that could otherwise have serious consequences.
Association sur l’accès et la protection de l’information (AAPI)
Internet portal on privacy protection
The AAPI developed a personal privacy toolbox designed for “lay people” (i.e. young people, parents, seniors) to raise their awareness and provide them with practical information about privacy.
It then developed an interactive Web portal on which it posted information material tailored to the project’s target clientele. In this way, the AAPI’s personal toolbox was able to reach people who are generally not well informed about privacy and personal information protection issues.
The “Personal Toolbox” Web portal provides completely free access to various tools by presenting and indexing them in different ways.
The AAPI is pleased to have carried out this project and provided the general public with one-stop access to a multitude of privacy awareness tools.
University of Guelph
This reports outlines a study of information disclosure and privacy on Facebook among high school aged youth and working adults. The study is the first to explore these issues in a sample of respondents selected from outside of a University student population. In addition, the report provides information about specific individual factors that predict the extent of disclosure and use of the privacy settings on Facebook. The researchers offer recommendations for increasing awareness and educating the public about protecting privacy on Facebook.
Key Findings:
- Despite popular perceptions that it is young people who disclose a considerable amount of information online, our study suggests that youth and adults are similar in their disclosure behaviors on Facebook. However, adults are more likely than youth to report using the privacy settings on Facebook.
- While the majority of respondents from both the study’s youth and adult samples reported knowing how to use Facebook’s privacy settings, a significantly smaller proportion of individuals from both groups reported actually using these settings.
- In both samples, respondents who reported having higher need for popularity and less awareness of the consequences of information sharing were more likely to disclose information about themselves on Facebook.
- Awareness of the consequences of personal disclosure was the strongest predictor of using the privacy settings on Facebook. This pattern was similar for both youth and adults.
- Respondents in the youth sample who reported having a bad experience on Facebook were more likely to control their information through use of the privacy settings.
Recommendations for Education:
- Efforts should be made to provide adults with better knowledge about some of the features of Facebook so they can provide more guidance to their children about Facebook privacy settings. Doing so would also enable adults with the tools to monitor their children’s use of Facebook.
- Strategies should focus on increasing awareness about the consequences of disclosing information, as this was a strong predictor of both information disclosure and control among youth and adults.
- Education campaigns for youth should include strategies for dealing with negative situations on Facebook (i.e., cyberbullying, harassment), both in terms of prevention and management.
- All Facebook users should be educated about how to use and regularly monitor their privacy settings. This education campaign should include cautionary statements regarding the selection of “friends” and how a person’s Facebook profile appears to other Facebook users.
Recommendations for Policy:
- Work with online social network sites, such as Facebook, to develop privacy settings and terms of use that are accessible to the youngest potential users.
- Establish mechanisms by which Facebook users have more control over the information that other users post about them.
- Develop education and awareness campaigns that encourage users to read the privacy settings and that encourage parents to educate their children about online privacy.
- Advocate for school programs that educate youth about online privacy and the consequences of disclosure.
University of Alberta, Health Law Institute
This report discusses privacy issues in the context of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sale of genetic testing services. A growing number of companies, mainly U.S.-based, sell genetic tests directly to consumers. To provide this service, the companies collect biological samples and personal information from clients, raising questions about the use, disclosure, retention, and security of these materials.
The researchers analyzed the privacy policies of 32 DTC genetic testing companies against the fair information principles developed by the Canadian Standards Association in the Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information and incorporated into the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. These ten principles are: accountability; identifying purposes; consent; limiting collection; limiting use, disclosure and retention; accuracy; safeguards; openness; individual access; and challenging compliance.
There is wide variation in the extent to which DTC genetic testing companies address protection of personal information and biological samples. Of the 32 company websites the researchers studied, 20 provide a privacy policy on their websites. Some focus on internet use (e.g. how the website tracks visitors) and some briefly address handling of samples and/or results. Seven of the 20 companies have more comprehensive policies that explain how the company collects and uses information via its website and how samples and results are handled.
This report concludes with a list of privacy-related questions the researchers recommend consumers should consider before buying genetic tests over the Internet. Consumers who seek answers to the questions—through careful review of company privacy policies and direct contact with companies—will be able to make a more informed choice about sending their personal information and genetic samples to a company.
University of Victoria
Deep-Packet Inspection: Resources for the Analysis of Privacy Implications in Canada
This project was designed to draw together resources about deep packet inspection (DPI) in Canada so that citizens, regulators, advocates, and businesses could have a common resource of information about these practices.
The project was successful in drawing together news articles, academic papers, public regulatory documents, government websites, and other DPI sources to create a centralized repository of information about this technology. It also incorporates an interactive system that identifies the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of the user, and provides concise information about that ISP’s uses of DPI.
While ISPs could hypothetically use the technology for advertising, data mining, and copyright enforcement, none has so far done so, so far as the researchers could determine, and none publicly stated that they have such intentions.
Moving forward, the website created by the researchers will continue to provide regular updates about deep packet inspection in Canada and in the broader international context, as well as to offer monthly essays for the foreseeable future. The technical infrastructure that was developed has been released to the developer community so that interested parties around the world can replicate the project in their regions.
Memorial University of Newfoundland
The goal of this project was to better understand the relative importance individuals place upon the privacy of their personal health information (PHI) as opposed to other personal or public goods. In particular, the researchers explored whether and under what conditions individuals might be willing to sacrifice some of their privacy in order to support health research that would contribute to either their personal or the common good.
The researchers’ particular focus was on the privacy of PHI with regard to biobanks. The research methodology involved the development of a “discreet choice task” in which participants were presented with various scenarios in which they had to decide which values were most important to them given the situations described. In particular, participants were challenged to weigh their privacy and confidentiality concerns against potential research that could benefit them personally, their loved ones, or society in general. They were asked to consider as well whether their preferences would change if the research was directed toward either a stigmatizing or non-stigmatizing condition, or whether they were required to give either blanket or specific consent for the future use of their biobanked specimens.
Participants displayed a high level of trust in health researchers, and a relatively low level of concern about the privacy and confidentiality of their PHI in the context of biobanks. They were particularly interested in research that would benefit them personally. This may indicate greater public support for disease specific biobanks where participants would be willing to provide an open-ended consent.
Union des consommateurs
The electronic health record (EHR), initiated by Health Canada’s Infoway, is part of an international move toward computerization of health records. The EHR is a tool that will allow health care professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, nurses and any other skilled professionals, to access patients’ clinical records, regardless of the location where the consultation took place, to optimize patient management and ensure improved follow‑up. The creation of electronic health records aims to facilitate the circulation and sharing of clinical information, particularly among health network facilities.
However, as for all new technologies of this kind, EHRs raise a number of concerns in the context of a growing dematerialization of information, and in a world where the use of personal health information is increasingly widespread and privacy protection, increasingly complex. Although there are definite advantages and benefits for health service users, it is important to ensure that EHRs are used in a way that respects the integrity of personal information and ensures that patients have control and access to their records.
The research presents an overview of EHR projects in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec and assesses the legal framework concerning privacy, including those related to health. The most relevant legal frameworks from France and the United States were also analyzed to make sure that Canada adopts only the best foreign practices concerning electronic health records.
Queen’s University
Camera Surveillance in Canada: A Research Workshop
In many countries camera surveillance has become commonplace and ordinary citizens and consumers are increasingly aware that they are under surveillance in everyday life. Indeed, camera surveillance is typically perceived as the archetype of contemporary surveillance technologies and processes. But while there is sometimes fierce debate about their introduction, many others take the cameras for granted or even applaud their deployment. Yet what the presence of surveillance cameras actually achieves is still very much in question. International evidence shows that they have very little effect in deterring crime and especially in “making people safer” but they do serve to place certain groups under greater official scrutiny and to extend the reach of today’s “surveillance societies.”
In January 2010, the Surveillance Camera Awareness Network (SCAN) hosted a two-day workshop to discuss camera surveillance in Canada. The aim of the workshop was to build upon A Report on Camera Surveillance in Canada, (part one released in January 2009 and part two released in December 2009) prepared by SCAN and funded by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner under the 2008-09 Contributions Program (available at: http://www.sscqueens.org/projects/scan), by generating fresh, clear, independent findings on camera surveillance in Canada and to have an open and public discussion of issues related to privacy and camera surveillance. The workshop explored topics such as public perceptions of camera surveillance in Canada (Dawson), the development of a Canadian CCTV signage code (Clement and Ferenbok), and what Canada can learn from the experience of video surveillance in other countries (Murakami-Wood).
SCAN expects to publish a book on the workshop, which will contain the text of papers and presentations tabled at the event.
University of Ottawa, Centre for Law, Technology and Society
Doing Girl Online: How Social Networking is Transforming Gender, Equality and Privacy
The Centre for Law, Technology and Society held its launch conference, “Taking Stock of Tech: Reflections on Law, Technology and Society,” on March 5, 2010. The conference was attended by roughly 200 people, including members of the public and private sectors, academics and students.
Part of this conference was a panel entitled “Doing Girl Online: How Social Networking is Transforming Gender, Equality and Privacy.” The panelists were Valerie Steeves, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa; Shaheen Shariff, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, McGill University; Shayla Thiel-Stern, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Media Communication, University of Minnesota; and Jane Bailey, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa.
This panel explored how gender, privacy and equality are being enacted and transformed by girls and young women in the performative, interactive, self-exposing world of online social networking, and interrogated the role that law and policy play in this transformation.
A number of themes emerged over the course of the panel: the importance to girls of being able to control who can access the information they post online; the private sector’s role in encouraging and feeding certain portrayals of girls in marketing and other commercial media; the news media’s role in portraying girls’ (and predators’) use of social networking and reporting the risks and dangers this poses – sometimes in a manner which causes a moral panic; and policymakers’ reactions to these new technologies and ideas about how to prevent harm (often defaulting to policies that are based on surveillance, censorship, self-monitoring and criminalization). The importance of control over access to, and use of, personal information permeates many of these themes.
The panel provided a rich analysis of the issues involved and also successfully created new knowledge as the perspectives from various disciplines were brought into dialogue with one another. It also demonstrated that there is need for researchers in these fields of inquiry to collaborate on a deeper analysis of the role that girls, boys, private business, media and policymakers play in promoting or constraining equality and privacy in the online environment.
Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC)
Social Media and Public Sector Policy Dilemmas
According to this research, the most significant impediment to government implementation and use of social media is not with the privacy, security, official language policies and legislative frameworks but with the “clay layer” in management and the hierarchical public service culture which has not adapted to the promise of new media to liberate information, foster collaboration and openness and promote organizational change.
Having said that, social media demand a new paradigm regarding the ownership, use and management of information. The specific challenges regarding privacy and official languages can be managed within that new paradigm. The problems faced regarding the issues of information management, privacy and security are new manifestations of old phenomena as there have always been risks of improper disclosure and misuse of government information.
In the view of the researchers, organization change is required to develop a culture of trust and openness that will allow public servants to take advantage of the benefits that social media offer.
Public sector employees fall into three camps on the social media issue and represent all age groups: the zealots, who love social media tools for the experience and opportunity they offer; the collaborators, who see the tools as helping them do their jobs better; and the resisters, who are concerned about the risks associated with government use of social media.
There is a dearth of analytic support, cost/benefit analysis, or measures of success regarding the implementation and use of social media in government. According to this research, leadership is required in the development of adaptable and responsive guidelines regarding the use of social media by public servants. Finally, there is a strong appetite for an ongoing community of practice to discuss shared issues and to develop shared solutions to meet the ongoing opportunities that social media are offering governments within the limits required of public sector organizations.
