Have you ever wondered what a privacy bill would look like if it were written by industry and business groups who profit from the exploitation of our personal data? We’re getting an idea from some of the incredibly destructive provisions in Bill C-27.
Over the course of the last year, Minister Champagne and his team have spoken hundreds of times with companies and business groups to hear what they want from Canada’s new privacy laws – and now they’re getting it in Bill C-27.1 While our data has been abused by companies like Tim Hortons,2 Clearview AI,3 and countless data brokers,4 the Minister and his team have been getting cozy with an unholy alliance – composed of Bell, Rogers, Telus, and Royal Bank of Canada, Sunlife and Manulife Financial, and predatory lending and lease-to-own company called goeasy – with designs to create an even more permissive environment for abusing our personal data.5 The result? New provisions in privacy reform Bill C-27 that actually make it EASIER for companies to exploit our data!
Minister Champagne hasn’t done any consultation to include the public’s feedback in his new privacy bill – and it shows. This bill will introduce a whole host of new ways that companies can use our sensitive data without our knowledge, permission, or consent.6 While some positive provisions are included, without key fixes the new bill will be a step backwards for the privacy of people in Canada.7
But that isn’t the end of the story. We have an opportunity to introduce amendments to this privacy bill that make it work for people. People in Canada deserve privacy reform created for the decade to come (not the one that just went). Reform that’s built upon a solid foundation of empowerment, giving us more choices about how our sensitive data can be used – not less.
If we act together to send our MPs a message, we can play a part in drafting the future of privacy in Canada. Send your message now!