Protect People in Canada: Reform our privacy laws!

Canada's privacy laws are failing to protect us. Lawmakers have a responsibility to protect the personal information of people in Canada — and right now, our laws do not ensure that we are safe.

The Facebook and Cambridge Analytica data scandal showed just how widespread this problem is. But Canada’s privacy laws lack adequate enforcement powers, and they don’t apply to Canada’s political parties — among other problems. We need to protect our privacy and safeguard our democracy.

Call on ministers today to commit to reforming our inadequate privacy laws, and ensure Canadians’ personal data is protected.

To the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Click here to see petition text

Today, Canadians are asking you to take firm steps towards long-overdue reforms of our privacy laws.

Data scandals such as the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica one has highlighted how individuals struggle to protect their privacy online, and how Canada’s out-of-date privacy laws are failing to protect us.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Greater legal protections for our rights will give the Canadian government more power to take action should other incidents like this occur.

The acts that govern data privacy in the public and private sector must be updated to keep up with our changing digital world. We ask that you urgently commit to a review and reform of PIPEDA and the Privacy Act.

Crucial protections are currently missing from PIPEDA, such as enforcement powers which would force non-compliant organizations to meet their privacy obligations.

Additionally, the fact that political parties are exempt from privacy legislation presents a significant potential conflict of interest. This exemption leaves many people in Canada convinced the current system is not working in our best interest.

We need guarantees that our governments' political interests will not take precedence over our privacy and security. We need to safeguard our democracy and protect against undue influence stemming from online privacy violations.

We ask that you commit to reforming Canada's privacy laws, informed by a full public consultation — both PIPEDA and the Privacy Act — to bring our privacy protections into the 21st century.

Thank you.

[Your Name Here]

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Revelations by Canadian whistleblower Christopher Wylie exposed how Facebook and other social media and data broker companies have harvested and exploited information about the private social media activity of millions of people around the world. It is alleged that Cambridge Analytica inappropriately collected information from the Facebook profiles of more than 50 million users.

This information was used by to build psychographic profiles that were then used for election campaigning and to influence political outcomes. So far, we have information that links this to the U.S. federal election, and the U.K.'s Brexit vote — but the full scope of how this system has been utilized remains unclear.1

Political parties are not currently covered under Canada's existing privacy laws — which make us incredibly vulnerable to the same types of campaign manipulation happening right here at home. It's going to take an immense amount of pressure to convince our government to give up its exemptions, and bring Canada's privacy laws up to date. We hope you will join us.2

Sources

  1. How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions: New York Times
  2. Liberals paid $100,000 in 2016 to Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: The Toronto Star

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Press: Matt Hatfield | Phone: +1 (888) 441-2640 ext. 0  | [email protected]