Today the OPC issued Captured on Camera, a fact sheet intended to help Canadians understand the privacy issues surrounding street-level imaging applications like Google StreetView and a similar product offered by Canpages.(html), (pdf)
The basic message?
“Under Canadian privacy law you should know when your picture is being taken for commercial reasons, and what your image will be used for. Your consent is also needed. There are exceptions, but they are very limited and specific.” …
“We think companies that engage in this activity have to let citizens know that they are going to be photographing the streets of their city, when this will happen, why and how they can have their image removed if they don’t want it in a database.”
There’s more, but you should go read it yourself.
“Captured on Camera” is a joint product of the OPC and the Privacy Commissioners of Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.