Canada’s Privacy Commissioner is considering launching a formal review into the federal police force’s use, without a warrant, of personal data from telecom and Internet companies, according to a report published by the Ottawa Citizen and Halifax Chronicle Herald newspapers.
According to journalists Alex Boutilier and Paul McLeod the review comes after the RCMP officers “admitted to Parliament in April that they do not track how often members request ‘basic subscriber information’ from telecom and Internet service providers.”
“I can tell you that we are scoping out a possible review of the RCMP’s collection of subscriber data without a warrant,” wrote Valerie Lawton, a spokeswoman for interim Privacy Commissioner Chantal Bernier, in an email to the journalists Wednesday. “We are not in a position to provide more information on the review at this time.”
According to an article in the Star earlier this week, telecom companies were concerned about “antagonizing” the federal government and police if they shared too much information with the Privacy Commissioner about how authorities “snoop” on their customers’ data in documents presented earlier this year.
In April, the Privacy Commissioner in reporting on what information the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) had released, called for more transparency in what information is shared by the companies.
More information:
Toronto Star/Alex Boutilier and Paul McLeod – Privacy watchdog considers review of RCMP warrantless access – here
Chronicle Herald/Paul McLeod and Alex Boutilier – RCMP use of data may spark probe – here
Toronto Star/Alex Boutilier – Telecom giants worried about “antagonizing” feds on lawful access: documents – here
Statement from the Interim Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding telecommunications companies’ responses to information requests from government authorities – here
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