Ann Cavoukian is proven at a information convention in Toronto on March 3, 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel
OTTAWA --
Ontario's former privateness commissioner says she is troubled "by the whole lack of transparency" from the Public Well being Company of Canada over its plans to gather thousands and thousands of individuals's cell phone information.
Giving proof to the Home of Commons ethics committee, Ann Cavoukian mentioned she discovered it "disturbing" that information from cell phones had been collected with out actively informing the general public first.
Cavoukian, who was privateness commissioner in Ontario from 1997 to 2014, expressed alarm that a request from the privateness commissioner of Canada to have a look at the privateness implications of the plans was rebuffed by the federal government.
"Trying beneath the hood by the privateness commissioner is completely important," she mentioned Thursday.
She instructed MPs that though the information gathered was anonymized, questions stay about whether or not it may very well be "re-identified."
Cavoukian mentioned, generally, it's simpler to establish individuals from information in small communities than in large cities.
The general public well being company has mentioned the cell phone information was gathered to assist it perceive journey patterns through the COVID-19 pandemic.
It mentioned in an announcement that it "has not and will be unable to establish or monitor people utilizing this information." The info is anonymized and aggregated and doesn't embrace private info.
In December, it issued a brand new request for proposals to trace countrywide cell tower-based location information between Jan. 1, 2019, and Could 31, 2023.
The discover mentioned the information should be correct, accessible and well timed, whereas guaranteeing privateness and transparency. It should even be stripped of all figuring out info.
Daniel Therrien, the federal privateness commissioner, instructed the committee in an earlier session that the federal government declined his provide to advise it on the implications of amassing information from thousands and thousands of cell phones. The federal government consulted its personal privateness specialists as an alternative.
Cavoukian warned that information gathered en masse throughout a pandemic or a time of disaster shouldn't set a precedent, permitting it to grow to be standard follow. She mentioned defending private privateness ought to stay a precedence throughout a disaster.
Damien Kurek, a Conservative member of the committee, mentioned in an interview that the "authorities appears to be making ready itself to have the ability to use this info in the long term."
Canadians have the proper to be "very involved" concerning the lack of transparency from the general public well being company concerning the assortment of individuals's cellphone location information, Kurek mentioned.
Members of Parliament handed a movement on Tuesday that known as on the federal government to droop its plans to increase the gathering of mobile-phone location information. The MPs needed privateness considerations to be regarded into first.
The workplace of Well being Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has mentioned the information doesn't include private info that may establish anybody. It has mentioned its precedence is preserving Canadians wholesome and protected whereas upholding privateness requirements.
The general public well being company mentioned all private identifiers had been faraway from the information earlier than it acquired it.
"PHAC briefed the workplace of the privateness commissioner (OPC) in April 2020 on this challenge and offered assurances that an evaluation was undertaken to find out that the information captured wouldn't embrace private info, and had discussions with the OPC once more in Jan. 6, 2022," it mentioned in an announcement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 11, 2022.
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