Comments on: There are other social networks with privacy concerns http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/ Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:51:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Canada: excellent SNS comparative privacy analysis http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-21761 Canada: excellent SNS comparative privacy analysis Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:17:42 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-21761 [...] it was finished on February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released last 25th September a research paper that examines the privacy protections available on social [...] [...] it was finished on February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released last 25th September a research paper that examines the privacy protections available on social [...]

]]> By: Theresa http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-6496 Theresa Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:31:13 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-6496 Just wondering why, after several months, my comment is awaiting moderation still. Privacy is important, but isn't freedom of speech, as well? Just wondering why, after several months, my comment is awaiting moderation still. Privacy is important, but isn’t freedom of speech, as well?

]]> By: Theresa http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-3744 Theresa Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:40:45 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-3744 I have a concern about the Privacy Commissioner's stance on employer's rights to use private information about a person in the hiring process. Employers are restricted from using certain kinds of information (e.g., marital and family status) in hiring. I feel that employers should also be restricted from prying into people's personal lives unless the behavior they are focusing on is illegal or directly relevant to the job being performed. With young people, in particular, they have a right to be young and to post silly, legal pictures about themselves and their friends. People also have a right to free association in this country. However, in my opinion, the Privacy Commissioner is not acting to protect the rights of Canadians to live legal lives publicly or privately. So what if a person posts a photo of themselves and their friends on the net? Employers should not have the right to decide who your friends are or whether they like the fact that you do or don't engage in various hobbies and legal activities in your youth or as an adult. Our freedom of expression, association, and speech is sadly going to be eroded if people do not have the right to live their lives without the 24/7 perpetual scrutiny and judgement by corporate bosses who might or might not like our personal politics or associates. Everybody has a responsibility to protect themselves from identity theft and to have personal information not misused by governments or other corporate organizations. We also have a right to be individuals and to live our lives freely within the bounds of the law. I think the Privacy Commissioner is missing the boat here and failing to protect our rights to be individuals. I did try to tell this to the Privacy Commissioner's office; however, after not being called back and finally reaching a person in the office with whom I could speak, I was laughed at, then the person indicated that they were not interested in my point of view, which were just "theories" according to him, and then he hung up. Wow. I'm not sure my interests are being served by that kind of a closed-minded attitude. Basically, what the Privacy Commissioner is saying is "Big Brother is watching you, and that's okay with us." Shouldn't the Privacy Commissioner being more concerned about Big Brother and what is being monitored and used against in the hiring process? If we aren't concerned about this, we will open the doors even wider to a form of new-age McCarthyism in Canada. New employment questions will be not "are you a communist" but "have you ever done anything we just don't like, whatever that may be." I have a concern about the Privacy Commissioner’s stance on employer’s rights to use private information about a person in the hiring process. Employers are restricted from using certain kinds of information (e.g., marital and family status) in hiring. I feel that employers should also be restricted from prying into people’s personal lives unless the behavior they are focusing on is illegal or directly relevant to the job being performed. With young people, in particular, they have a right to be young and to post silly, legal pictures about themselves and their friends. People also have a right to free association in this country. However, in my opinion, the Privacy Commissioner is not acting to protect the rights of Canadians to live legal lives publicly or privately. So what if a person posts a photo of themselves and their friends on the net? Employers should not have the right to decide who your friends are or whether they like the fact that you do or don’t engage in various hobbies and legal activities in your youth or as an adult. Our freedom of expression, association, and speech is sadly going to be eroded if people do not have the right to live their lives without the 24/7 perpetual scrutiny and judgement by corporate bosses who might or might not like our personal politics or associates. Everybody has a responsibility to protect themselves from identity theft and to have personal information not misused by governments or other corporate organizations. We also have a right to be individuals and to live our lives freely within the bounds of the law. I think the Privacy Commissioner is missing the boat here and failing to protect our rights to be individuals. I did try to tell this to the Privacy Commissioner’s office; however, after not being called back and finally reaching a person in the office with whom I could speak, I was laughed at, then the person indicated that they were not interested in my point of view, which were just “theories” according to him, and then he hung up. Wow. I’m not sure my interests are being served by that kind of a closed-minded attitude. Basically, what the Privacy Commissioner is saying is “Big Brother is watching you, and that’s okay with us.” Shouldn’t the Privacy Commissioner being more concerned about Big Brother and what is being monitored and used against in the hiring process? If we aren’t concerned about this, we will open the doors even wider to a form of new-age McCarthyism in Canada. New employment questions will be not “are you a communist” but “have you ever done anything we just don’t like, whatever that may be.”

]]> By: Social networking and an Impartial Public Service « Spaghetti Testing | Peter Smith http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-3694 Social networking and an Impartial Public Service « Spaghetti Testing | Peter Smith Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:13 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-3694 [...] 5. Yes social networking is redrawing the line between public/private. My rule of thumb – err on the side of caution and treat online participation as more public than private. I assume that how I present yourself online always has a an impact on my personal reputation and the reputation of my employer. (Writing this, it occurs to me that it’s probably no different in the private sector.) By the by, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been doing great work on privacy issues around social networking. [...] [...] 5. Yes social networking is redrawing the line between public/private. My rule of thumb – err on the side of caution and treat online participation as more public than private. I assume that how I present yourself online always has a an impact on my personal reputation and the reputation of my employer. (Writing this, it occurs to me that it’s probably no different in the private sector.) By the by, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been doing great work on privacy issues around social networking. [...]

]]> By: Canada: excellent SNS comparative privacy analysis | Bits of privacy http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-3641 Canada: excellent SNS comparative privacy analysis | Bits of privacy Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:16:30 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-3641 [...] it was finished on February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released last 25th September a research paper that examines the privacy protections available on social [...] [...] it was finished on February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released last 25th September a research paper that examines the privacy protections available on social [...]

]]> By: Jack Bauer http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-3621 Jack Bauer Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:45:21 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-3621 What I would have liked to see in that report is an overview about the way these networks treat disclosure of user data to governments. If all of a user's life is stored in an SNS profile, a disclosure would most likely reveal more than could ever be obtained if e.g. police raided the user's apartment. It is also completely unclear to me as to what the legal requirements are for disclosure in those countries where the SNS are located. Given the seriousness/impact of a disclosure, it would be very good to know e.g. if a warrant were required for investigators to obtain the data. Other than that, thank you very much for the detailed report. What I would have liked to see in that report is an overview about the way these networks treat disclosure of user data to governments.

If all of a user’s life is stored in an SNS profile, a disclosure would most likely reveal more than could ever be obtained if e.g. police raided the user’s apartment. It is also completely unclear to me as to what the legal requirements are for disclosure in those countries where the SNS are located. Given the seriousness/impact of a disclosure, it would be very good to know e.g. if a warrant were required for investigators to obtain the data.

Other than that, thank you very much for the detailed report.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Office of the Privacy Commissioner » Blog Archive » There are other social networks with privacy concerns -- Topsy.com http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2009/09/25/there-are-other-social-networks-with-privacy-concerns/comment-page-1/#comment-3611 Tweets that mention Office of the Privacy Commissioner » Blog Archive » There are other social networks with privacy concerns -- Topsy.com Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:05:11 +0000 http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/?p=439#comment-3611 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Scott Elcomb. Scott Elcomb said: There are other social networks with privacy concerns http://bit.ly/1nfInb (Office of the Privacy Commissioner) #privacy [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Scott Elcomb. Scott Elcomb said: There are other social networks with privacy concerns http://bit.ly/1nfInb (Office of the Privacy Commissioner) #privacy [...]

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