Our Personal Privacy Rights: The New Reality

(NC) – Technology is having a dramatic impact on the world around us. Ten years ago you might have asked someone if they had access to e-mail. Today, we are working, learning, shopping, socializing—literally, living our lives—online. This new reality is putting some serious pressure on our personal privacy rights.

“Personal information has always been a valuable commodity, but it has never before been so accessible,” says Jennifer Stoddart, Privacy Commissioner of Canada. “People are putting tremendous amounts of personal information out into cyberspace—sometimes unknowingly but often by choice—and once it is there they have virtually no control over who uses it or for what purpose.”

As the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Commissioner Stoddart has seen first-hand the impact of technology on privacy and the broadening range of threats. Her Office is responsible for ensuring that the Government of Canada and many of the private-sector organizations that collect personal information do so with the greatest of care and respect for your privacy.

Not surprisingly, the Internet, in particular, has introduced a whole new level of complexity and concern when it comes to protecting personal information. With the click of a button, information can now be shared, copied, posted and reused—all without permission by other parties.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada cautions people to think carefully about what they put online. This is a particularly important message for today’s young people who have enthusiastically embraced communication technologies, such as social networking.

“Young Canadians need to understand that there is a lot at stake when they share their personal information online. Once they put their personal information online, it is public and it can live on in cyberspace, pretty much in perpetuity,” warns Commissioner Stoddart.

Controlling your personal information is the key to protecting your privacy. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada encourages parents to take the time to talk to their kids about privacy and the value of their personal information. Let them know that privacy is a fundamental right in our society, and their personal information should only be collected with their permission, distributed only according to their wishes, and used in ways to which they agree.

“Privacy is about people and the choices they make. In many ways, we enjoy privacy to the extent we demand it,” says Commissioner Stoddart. “It is important that we teach young Canadians about the importance of privacy and give them the tools and knowledge they need to take responsibility for their personal information.”

Visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s youth privacy web site.

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