Supreme Court Will Hear FB Privacy Case

GrumpyCanadian

Meta has been accused of violations of the Canadian PIPEDA over a number of years, relating to properly obtaining user consent to use their data. The case is now expected to make its way to the Supreme Court of Canada, after the Federal Court of Appeal found that Meta Platforms did not respect Canadian privacy laws.

During his involvement in the case, former privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien released a report criticising Meta’s lax handling of user data and necessary consent, and recommended tougher privacy-protection laws in Canada.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/supreme-court-of-canada-to-hear-facebook-privacy-case/

I have long thought we needed stronger laws to protect personal data from such corporate parasites, and feel that we need something that combines the best of existing Canadian laws, combined with something resembling the European GDPR. Is there any compelling reason not to adopt something of the sort?

Dks01

The moist interesting point is that the SCC agreed to review the case at all. Usually that means there is a significant point of law to be looked at. The decision will make an interesting read.

taraf

GrumpyCanadian I have long thought we needed stronger laws to protect personal data from such corporate parasites, and feel that we need something that combines the best of existing Canadian laws, combined with something resembling the European GDPR. Is there any compelling reason not to adopt something of the sort?

For consumers? No there is no good reason not to adopt regulations in line with GDPR. Actually, if we want to consider getting closer to Europe economically it’ll likely be mandatory.

For business? Depends a lot on the business. GDPR explicitly states that any information gathered by a business must be necessary to conduct business, and must only be retained as long as is necessary to conduct business. For many businesses that’s no real encumberance at all. For businesses that are hoping to data mine your usage so they can sell it to advertisers? It’s a death knell. So expect lobbying against it the moment it gets seriously proposed.

Bobcat00

Dks01 The moist interesting point

LOL

FrathosCAN

Dks01 LOL… oh my… moistly makes me think of Justin Trudeau’s usage years ago:

urbanriot

GrumpyCanadian

I have long thought we needed stronger laws to protect personal data from such corporate parasites, and feel that we need something that combines the best of existing Canadian laws, combined with something resembling the European GDPR. Is there any compelling reason not to adopt something of the sort?

I don’t have a problem with companies using our data for creative purposes that fund the platforms we interact with but at the same time, I want to know how they’re using that data in clear terms that are not bypassing our interpretation of how our data is used.

If you say to me in clear language, “we, Meta, are going to analyze your cookies to push adverts on you that you think you’ll like” I’m okay with that. If you tell me, “we’re using a computerized system to evaluate your private messages and posts to push adverts on you” I’m okay with that too.

But if you’re passing on personal data that can be associated with me by name to third parties, I’m not okay with that. Did I agree to that? I’m not sure because I don’t recall agreeing to that… and that’s the problem.

Certain governments have a bad habit of overstepping governance and moving into a different world that also violates your privacy and freedoms, as such I’d rather seem them work towards bills that force companies to ensure we know what we are or are not agreeing to but I would not want to see them go beyond that.

mrweather

You ever thoroughly read the end user agreements with these platforms? The language has been carefully crafted so that they can do whatever they want with your data.

I’m not on Facebook and never will be. Mark Zuckerburg can kiss my ass.

g121

mrweather Mark Zuckerburg can kiss my ass.

LOL .. expressing your inner ‘George Bell’ : )) ..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bell_(outfielder) >
Despite his success on the field, Bell had a love-hate relationship with the fans and media in Toronto, particularly in his later years as his declining defensive game came to overshadow his offensive talents. After the fans booed him for committing an error, he told the media that the fans could “kiss my purple butt.”

GrumpyCanadian

mrweather You ever thoroughly read the end user agreements with these platforms?

That gets to be quite the challenge for mere mortals. I once decided that I would read all of them presented to me during a complete upgrade of Apple software. What’s that they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions? It applies here. I started reading attentively. After five of them, I started skimming. By the time it got to ten, I mostly gave up. Every product, every software package, every service seems to have at least three direct agreements governing your use of it, sometimes with additional linked agreements included by reference, with them sometimes saying that, in certain cases, some clauses from certain agreements override others. It’s virtually impossible for someone without a law degree, and hours of effort, to figure our exactly what they are getting themselves into by using such things.

As you say, the general spirit of each one seems to be, "Thanks for the money and/or data. You may not…, you may not…, you may not…; we can do anything we please; we owe you nothing; you may not sue.