All data is relevant
Data Privacy Day highlights impact of technology on our everyday lives
In all aspects of your life, your information is your information.
It doesn’t matter if you are at a grocery store, ordering an item in an online shopping forum, registering for school or university, or providing information to a health-care institution, your expectations are that this information will remain confidential.
Each of us, as individuals, businesses and federal institutions, now more than ever have to be aware of the changing challenges we are faced with and the need to foster awareness of privacy rights and obligations.
To highlight these and a host of other issues surrounding data privacy, Data Privacy Day 2018 will take place across Canada on Sunday and around the globe as provinces, territories, states and countries work in unison to curb or stop the data breaches that have become more and more globally prevalent.
Data Privacy Day raises awareness of the impact of technology on our right to privacy, including the many ways personal information is collected, stored, used, disclosed and shared. It underlines the importance of protecting personal information.
On Friday, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador reported that from October through the end of 2017, there were 59 privacy breaches reported from 20 public bodies. This was an increase of more than 30 per cent since the previous reporting period, which saw 40 breaches reported from 15 public bodies.
Of those breaches, 10 came from Service NL and seven from Advanced Education, Skills and Labour. In total, 22 were related to email, 12 each were classified as other and mail outs, eight were in-person breaches, three were dubbed intentional or wilful breaches, and two were due to technical malfunctions.
Activities planned
A number of activities, events and educational tools are planned for Data Privacy Day, and include the following:
• IAPP Privacy After Hours event for privacy professionals at Bitters Pub from 7-8 p.m. on Jan. 31.
• Trivia Night at Bitter Pub from 8-10 p.m. on Jan. 31.
• Privacy calendars have been disseminated to a significant number of ATIPP coordinators to keep privacy top of mind.
• A Data Privacy Day poster was added to the OIPC website as a resource for ATIPP co-ordinators and others.
• The January issue of Above Board newsletter was dedicated to access to information and protection of privacy and to privacy-related topics.
Everyone is urged to think about what you can do or plan to do to promote privacy protection. Working together will improve privacy protection in all public bodies across Newfoundland and Labrador, bodies that individually and collectively value personal information, and bring privacy responsibilities to the forefront.
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is leading the charge to partner with other countries around the world in celebrating Data Privacy Day.
The OIPC is developing a Privacy Management Program framework that public bodies and custodians can use to demonstrate responsibility for the protection of personal information and/or personal health information.
Privacy management programs ensure privacy is being built into all initiatives, programs or services, and assists organizations in meeting their legislative privacy obligations.