Privacy

Privacy Law and Data Protection Privacy Law and Data Protection is a free online law course offered by the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. The four-week class gives students an introduction into what prompted the creation of privacy laws. Then, the course shifts into an in-depth discussion of…

This week, European authorities struck a massive blow to the digital data-mining industrial complex with a new ruling stating that, quite simply, most of those annoying cookie alert banners that sites were forced to onboard en masse after GDPR was passed haven’t… actually been compliant with GDPR. Sorry. The ruling, announced on…

Google Analytics provides statistics on website traffic. After receiving complaints from the NOYB association, the CNIL, in cooperation with its European counterparts, analysed the conditions under which the data collected through this service is transferred to the United States. The CNIL considers that these transfers are illegal and orders a…

Consent plays a role in almost all modern privacy statutes. In some privacy statutes, like the GDPR, it can function as one of many lawful purposes to process data. In other privacy statutes, like the VCDPA and the CPA, it is mandated for certain types of data processing (e.g., sensitive…

Privacy in Quebec is about to get a major makeover — one that may lead to wider reforms across Canada. In September, lawmakers enacted Bill 64, which aims to modernize crucial aspects of the various laws governing individuals’ privacy in Quebec, amending provisions involving consent, data protection officers, notice, individuals’…

MPC Privacy Insights Series brings you a timely webinar at the start of the year. With the Quebec privacy reform leading the charge, Canadian companies are waking up the realization that privacy legislation is changing. From breach notification to penalties for violations, the message is clear: privacy has an impact…

It’s been more than 3 years since the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect, and over two-thirds of the world’s countries have now enacted privacy laws. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges in keeping personal data safe, and most have reaffirmed their commitment to privacy’s requirements…

Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) have not changed dramatically over the past 20 years or so, or at least the approach to them hasn’t. Whether the starting point is in a Word or Excel template or [one hopes] by using actual technology to support the process, a PIA involves a group…

This was the year an overhaul of federal private-sector privacy law died. But one expert says 2022 may be the year of private-sector privacy law upheaval — if Parliament and three provincial legislatures move fast. “All of the signals suggest that we’re potentially going to see quite a bit of private sector…

If you’ve spent any amount of time discussing reforms to improve privacy online, you’ve likely encountered the Big Knob Theory. Like Covid it comes in variants, but its core tenet can be summarised thus: there exists (metaphorically) a Big Knob that can either be turned towards “privacy” or towards “competition”…