Canada’s privacy commissioner is investigating the Canada Revenue Agency for the latest leak of taxpayers’ confidential information. Danielle Baxter had asked the agency to send information about her deceased daughter so she could fill out a final income tax form. When she got the package it contained personal data on five other Canadians.
When Baxter went to the tax office near her to try to return the private documents, she was told to leave them in a drop box outside. She did not feel this was secure enough and asked that someone come outside to get them from her. That request was refused.
Next the tax office told her to wait about ten days to receive an envelope from the tax office in which she could then put the forms and mail back. She was appalled.
“It happens far too often,” said Canadian privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart. “We have had quite a few data breaches with the CRA. And we have had enough data incidents, I’d say, enough incidents of mishandling of Canadian’s personal information, that I asked the CRA be audited…we’ll be reporting on that in my next annual report.”
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