Advertisers Using Search Info Inappropriately, Privacy Commissioner Warns

OTTAWA — The federal privacy watchdog warns that searching online for information about pregnancy tests, liposuction or a divorce lawyer can prompt related ads to pop up on your computer screen.

Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien says new research released by his office reveals a small but troubling number of cases in which major websites used such sensitive information to target Internet users without appropriate consent.

How the Budget Bill Quietly Reshapes Canadian Privacy Law

A budget implementation bill is an unlikely -- and many would say inappropriate -- place to make major changes to Canadian privacy law. Yet Bill C-59, the government's 158-page bill that is set to sweep through the House of Commons, does just that.

The omnibus budget bill touches on a wide range of issues, including copyright term extension and retroactive reforms to access to information laws. But there are also privacy amendments that have received little attention.

In fact, the privacy commissioner of Canada was not even granted the opportunity to appear before the committee that "studied" the bill, meaning that privacy was not discussed nor analyzed (the committee devoted only two sessions to external witnesses for study, meaning most issues were glossed over).