The Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s most recent annual report was tabled in Parliament on December 8, 2001. The report, titled Projecting our values into laws: Laying the foundation for responsible innovation, will be Daniel Therrien’s last annual report as Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
The report calls on government to make privacy law reform a priority, and reiterates the Commissioner’s concern that “Bill C-11, which died on the order paper when the election was called, would be a step backwards.”
Commissioner Therrien also notes that, “Over the course of my mandate, it has become increasingly clear that we need a stronger privacy framework to protect the rights of Canadians in an increasingly digital world. This would allow Canadians to safely participate in the digital economy and confidently embrace new technologies.” As the Commissioner notes, however, while some progress toward that goal has been made, the need persists.
The Annual Report also notes that, “the future of privacy protection in Canada remains unsettled and the issues we are facing are complex…As a society we must project our values into the laws that regulate the digital space. Our citizens expect nothing less from their public institutions. It is on this condition that confidence in the digital economy, damaged by numerous scandals, will return.”
