Bell, Let’s Talk about the Unintended consequences of revealing mental health issues

On the convergence of Bell Canada’s ‘Let’s Talk’ day (January 25) and Data Privacy Day (January 28), let’s think of the unintended consequences of revealing mental health issues on social media platforms where “any information you share may be read, collected, or used by other users” including other social media platforms.

Publicly available posts can be monitored and collected by law enforcement and border agencies. Even before Bill C-2 came on the scene in June of 2025, sensitive personal information was used to prevent people with mental health concerns from entering other countries, particularly the United States.

The online campaign is important to erase the stigma of mental health, and knowing that others have had similar experiences and feelings helps to know that you’re not alone. But the heartfelt comments and admissinos can be used by artificial intelligence-powered systems that will use the revelations to ‘decide’ your insurance eligibility and rates, whether you’ll get the job you want or the apartment you hope to rent, or get into the university of your choice.

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