There has been uncertainty in Canada with regards to whether consumer-incentive programs involving loyalty or rewards points fall under the scope of provincial consumer protection laws, given their free nature. Loyalty programs encourage consumers to be loyal to a specific merchant in exchange for the opportunity to obtain goods and services either at a discounted […] Read more
On October 13, 2017, the Group of Seven countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States (the “G-7”), issued a report titled G-7 Fundamental Elements for Effective Assessment of Cybersecurity in the Financial Sector (the “G7FEA”) to provide guidance for effective cybersecurity assessments by financial sector organizations. The G7FEA supplements the G-7’s 2016 report titled G7 […] Read more
On October 19, 2017, the Canadian Securities Administrators (“CSA”) published Staff Notice 33-321 Cyber Security and Social Media to report on a survey of cybersecurity and social media practices by firms registered to trade securities or to advise clients regarding securities, and to provide guidance regarding cybersecurity and social media practices. The Staff Notice supplements the CSA’s […] Read more
The CBA Access to Information and Privacy Law Symposium is taking place this year on Oct. 27-28, 2017 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel, 1 Rideau St. in Ottawa. I will be moderating a “Canadian Update” panel (1.5 substantive hours) with the following speakers: Me Jean Chartier, Président de la Commission d’accès à l’information du […] Read more
In a September 19, 2017 decision in Demers v Yahoo! Inc., the Québec Superior Court rejected Yahoo! Inc. and Yahoo! Canada Co.’s (collectively, “Yahoo”) motion to dismiss a motion for authorization of a class action resulting from two highly publicized data security incidents that occurred in 2013 and 2014. This decision has important implications for […] Read more
The 2017 IT.CAN 21st Annual Conference is taking place on October 23–24, at the St. Andrew’s Club and Conference Centre 150 King St. West, 16th Floor, Toronto. I will participate on a panel entitled “Legal Control of Internet Content: Who Decides and What is the Impact?” with co-panelists Curt Howard, Head of Legal, Google Canada […] Read more
The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”), which will come into force in May 2018, is a significant evolution in personal data protection laws, and is materially different in important respects from the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and similar provincial laws. The GDPR is complicated and nuanced, with permitted variances among European Union […] Read more
I will be attending the IAPP PSR 2017 annual event in San Diego (October 16-18) and presenting on the following topic “Learn From my Fail: Avoiding Privacy Program Snafus & Screw-Ups” with the following co-panelists: Lael Bellamy, CIPP/US, CPO, The Weather Channel Peggy Eisenhauer, CIPP/US, Founder, Privacy & Information Management Services Eloïse Gratton, Partner and National Co-leader, Privacy and Data Protection Jules […] Read more
In August 2017, the British Columbia Supreme Court issued its decision in Tucci v. Peoples Trust Company, certifying a national class action lawsuit against Peoples Trust Company relating to a 2013 breach of customers’ personal information. The decision demonstrates how Canadian courts approach the certification of data breach class actions. Read more
In May 2016, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) published a discussion paper and launched a consultation on consent under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) with the objective of identifying potential enhancements to the consent model and better defining the roles and responsibilities of the actors who could […] Read more