Jennifer Stoddart, Canadian Privacy Commissioner, Reappointed

The Globe reports today on the reappointment of Jennifer Stoddart, Canada's Privacy Commissioner who has established an international profile in her successful quest to require Facebook to address its chronic privacy concerns.

She has also taken on Google Street View, Google Buzz, and Canada's Veteran's Affairs Department over privacy breaches in recent months.

Ms. Stoddart has been appointed by the Prime Minister for a further three-year term.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Privacy Commissioner Stoddart Zooms in on Google Street View

As anticipated, fresh off a year of resounding success in tackling Facebook for shortcomings in the protection of user privacy, Canada's Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, now has Google Street View squarely in her crosshairs:

City News reports:

Jennifer Stoddart says Google broke Canadian privacy laws when it accidentally collected personal information from unsecured wireless networks while putting together its Street View mapping service.

An investigation by Stoddart's office found complete emails, addresses, usernames, passwords and even a list that provided the names of people suffering from certain medical conditions was collected.

Also see CTV News: Google mapped more than addresses: privacy czar

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Facebook's Zuckerberg - A Reformed Man?

Meet the new Mark Zukerberg, describing Facebook's updated "philosophy" on privacy and user controls, as the web behemoth unveiled enhancements yesterday to its privacy and information mobility features:

It's our core belief that people should own and be able to conrol their information in Facebook,' Zuckerberg said. 'We view this as a philosophical thing.'

Canada's privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, may have more than a little to do with how Mr. Zuckerberg has come to see the light.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Google Street View and Privacy

Barred from the Czech Republic and under review in Germany, will Google Street View be next in Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart's crosshairs?

Also see Web Pro News: Google Street View Stopped Again By Czechs.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Canada's Privacy Commissioner: I ♥ Facebook

According to Canada's Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, Facebook's privacy protections have come a long way, indeed.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada published a news release today, Privacy Commissioner completes Facebook review, setting out its findings, after a review of the social media site's controversial privacy policies and practises:

OTTAWA, September 22, 2010 – The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has finished reviewing the changes that Facebook implemented as a result of her investigation of the social networking site and has concluded that the issues raised in the complaint have been resolved to her satisfaction.

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart today issued the following statement:

The changes Facebook has put in place in response to concerns we raised as part of our investigation last year are reasonable and meet the expectations set out under Canadian privacy law.

The investigation has resulted in many significant changes. Facebook has put in place measures to limit the sharing of personal information with third-party application developers and is now providing users with clear information about its privacy practices.

Read more....

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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On Social Media and the Erosion of Privacy

Newsweek's Daniel Lyons may have just hit the nail on the head:

The real holy grail is your list of friends. With that information, marketers can start sending more targeted messages...

The genius of Google, Facebook, and others is that they've created services that are so useful or entertaining that people will give up some privacy in order to use them. Now the trick is to get people to give up more—in effect, to keep raising the price of the service.

These companies will never stop trying to chip away at our information. Their entire business model is based on the notion of "monetizing" our privacy. To succeed they must slowly change the notion of privacy itself—the "social norm," as Facebook puts it—so that what we're giving up doesn't seem so valuable. Then they must gain our trust. Thus each new erosion of privacy comes delivered, paradoxically, with rhetoric about how Company X really cares about privacy. I'm not sure whether Orwell would be appalled or impressed. And who knew Big Brother would be not a big government agency, but a bunch of kids in Silicon Valley?

Meanwhile, Canada's Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, is decidedly not amused: Privacy watchdog rebukes Google for Buzz

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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