posted on January 11, 2001 04:59:24 AM
At this stage the Act applies to disclosures of personal information for consideration across provincial or national borders, by organizations such as credit reporting agencies or organizations that lease, sell or exchange mailing lists or other personal information. The information itself must be the subject of the transaction
and the consideration is for the information. .... Well boyz and girlz, if eBay LEASES USE OF EMAIL ADDRESSES of their Canadian users to companies wanting to send "special offers" and if they make money off the sending of the offer to X number of users, they are subject to this law.
When complaining about or to Canadian ISPs, websites and/or companies about unsolicited email advertising, inform them that the companies usage of your e-mail address without your EXPLICIT consent is a violation of the new:
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
Ref: BILL C-6
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-6/C-6_4/C-6TOCE.html
Point out to them that if the situation is not resolved to your satisfaction you will lodge a formal complaint with the Privacy Commissioner.
http://www.privcom.gc.ca/english/index_e.htm
[b] If you chose to complain to the Privacy Commissioner, do NOT put the complaint in as
a spam issue. The usage of your e-mail address makes it a privacy issue.[/b]
posted on January 11, 2001 10:51:11 AM
Thanks for posting the link. I was going to post it here myself. I'm one of those lucky Canadians that gets to benefit from the new law. I am curious if eBay is aware of this and if their current practices will have to change when the law takes effect...
posted on January 11, 2001 11:27:28 AM
ptimko ... it's in effect for anyone who does this: "lease, sell or exchange mailing lists or other personal information."
Because eBay makes lists of users for the purpose of making "special offers", and they get PAID for doing so by the manufacturers or businesses making those offers, they probably are already covered by the law for eBay Canada members. They might slide thruogh the loophole that tthe lists are always (they claim) under the control of eBay and the info doesn't actually get transferred, but you could always ask.
posted on January 11, 2001 11:49:46 AM
It seems to be a bit of a grey area. I'm not even sure if eBay is actually registered as a Canadian company. I know that eBay Canada "exists" but is it really a Canadian corporation?
I was also under the impression that the law only applied to government agencies at this time. I thought the inclusion of corporations and companies, large and small, was to be implemented over the next couple of years...
I must admit I haven't read it completely, I'm speaking mostly from what I've heard on the local and national news...
posted on January 11, 2001 12:09:26 PM
ptimko - It applies to government agencies and ANY organizations that lease, sell or exchange mailing lists or other personal information. The information itself must be the subject of the transaction
and the consideration is for the information.
That went in there to put a stop to the practice of selling CDROMs with email addresses on it and to stop one company from selling out it's customers.
