1. Privacy: Do We Need It? Mike Gurski Senior Policy & Technology Advisor Information & Privacy Commission, Ontario Canada JetNet September 25, 2001 Ottawa

2. The Privacy Debate Crystallizes: Post Sept. 11, 2001  Privacy and Public Safety – Increased surveillance of e-mails, phone conversations – Face Recognition software stocks soar  Changes for the Private Sector –Sharper definition of the principles of democracy –NO reduction in consumer expectations –Increased value of trusted relationships

3. The Threats to Privacy Stay the Same  Big Brother –Surveillance, control, no private space,  The Trial –Fractured personal data held by uncaring, unknowing authorities  The Matrix –Technology designs society & society’s perceived reality for its own ends  Commodification of Human Relationships –Life as the ultimate shopping experience

4. The Same Privacy Drivers  Large organizations disconnected from clients, gathering detailed data  Increasing amounts of personal data, held, consolidated, used  New privacy invasive technologies  Application of a technology paradigm geared to manufactured goods on humans

5. IPC Defined Privacy : Think “Use”  Informational Privacy: Data Protection –Personal control over the collection, use and disclosure of any recorded information about an identifiable individual –The organisation’s responsibility for data protection and safeguarding personal information in its custody or control.

6. The Private Sector Decision Matrix: Acting Strategically Detour & Delay: ‘No one will notice’ Compliance: It’s the Law Privacy Leader: Its Good for Business Make the right sounds

7. A Perplexing Issue: Transborder Data Flows  What the Federal Legislation Says  Some untested questions: –What if a company collected US citizen data, and processed it in Canada? Who has jurisdiction? –Does it matter if it is an Ontario Company in the above scenario? –What if a U.S. company collects information on Canadians and uses data in U.S.? Who has jurisdiction?

8. A Closing Thought “To survive mounting consumer anxiety… firms need to institutionalize their commitment to protecting… customers’ privacy by taking a comprehensive, whole- view approach… The cost of a privacy PR blowout can range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars… and this doesn’t include lost business and damage to the brand.” -Forrester Research

9. How to Contact Us Mike Gurski. Information & Privacy Commission/Ontario 80 Bloor Street West, Suite 1700 Toronto, Ontario M5S 2V1 Phone: (416) 325-9164 Web: www.ipc.on.ca E-mail: mgurski@ipc.on.ca