The House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI), undertook a study of social media platform practices, to understand the risk from data harvesting and unethical or iIllicit sharing of personal information. The Committee had a particular focus on TikTok, which was explicitly mentioned in the motion that led to the study, and which the Government of Canada had banned from being used on government-issued devices. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI), undertook a study of social media platform practices, to understand the risk from data harvesting and unethical or iIllicit sharing of personal information. The Committee had a particular focus on TikTok, which was explicitly mentioned in the motion that led to the study, and which the Government of Canada had banned from being used on government-issued devices.
The Committee’s report highlights flaws in social media platforms’ practices identified by academics and experts. Concerns included how platforms’ business model has a negative impact on their data collection practices or the way in which their practices may not be sufficient to protect minors’ personal information. The report also discusses the use of these platforms by foreign states or actors for interference purposes, and how such attempts may be countered in Canada. Lastly, the report outlines the legislative and other measures proposed by the witnesses to ensure better oversight of social media platforms.
As part of the study, the Privacy & Access Council of Canada’s president, Sharon Polsky, testified on November 20, 2023, before the ETHI Committee. You can watch her testimony, read her Opening Remarks, or read the full transcript.
The Committee’s report contains a total of 8 recommendations to the Government of Canada, including a recommendation to reevaluate its digital standards regarding the download and use of all social media apps on government-issued devices, recommendations to strengthen private sector privacy legislation, particularly as it pertains to the protection of minors’ personal information and the rules surrounding data minimization, as well as recommendations to allocate more resources to digital literacy and the fight against cybercrime.
Just days after the committee considered the report and agreed to it, the Government banned Tik Tok’s Canadian operations, citing “national security concerns” as the reason. Not knowing what these national security concerns were or other information related to this decision being made after its work was done — and which could have materially impacted the content of its report or the recommendations — the ETHI Committee will be revisiting the matter during a further study.
