Parliament should take a cautious approach to legislative proposals to create an expanded surveillance regime that would have serious repercussions for privacy rights, say Canada’s privacy guardians. Privacy commissioners and ombudspersons from across the country issued a joint resolution today urging Parliamentarians to ensure there is a clear and demonstrable need to expand the investigative…
FTC approves final consent order in Sears tracking software case
The Federal Trade Commission has approved a final consent order in the matter of Sears Holdings Management Corporation, following a public comment period, and authorized the staff to provide responses to the commenters of record. According to the FTC’s administrative complaint, Sears represented to consumers that software it was placing on their computers would track…
B.C. private schools hire private eyes to check parental gang ties
Sam Cooper reports: Several Vancouver private schools are screening applicants to determine if their families are linked to gangs and pose a risk to students and staff. “We have recently been engaged by private schools in the Vancouver area to conduct due diligence on the families of prospective students,” Kim Marsh, managing director of private…
Irish school’s fingerprint system may breach laws
Jimmy Woulfe of Irish Examiner reports that Salesian College in Pallaskenry’s system for fingerprinting students for attendance purposes may violate data protection legislation: A fingerprint from each hand is registered on two scanners when students arrive in the morning and return after lunch. The system cuts out an hour’s work every day compiling rolls. However,…