July 9, 2010
Have you ever wondered if an electronic document like an e-mail or a scanned image can be used instead of a paper document to meet a legal requirement? How about using an electronic signature as opposed to a written signature?
Unfortunately, the provincial government’s dithering over the past decade will not help you answer these important questions.
Manitoba’s e-commerce legislation, called The Electronic Commerce and Information Act, was passed in the Manitoba Legislature in 2000. It was then billed as a cutting edge law that would help Manitobans to prosper in the online world.
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Leave a Comment » | 
Government, Internet, Online Shopping, Sale Transactions, Technology | Tagged: E-mail, Government, Internet, Technology | 
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Posted by Brian Bowman
January 4, 2010
Since e-mail has become the dominant form of business correspondence, employers have been increasingly forced to deal with issues related to e-mail use, monitoring and access. It’s crucial that organizations stay on top of the legal landscape as it relates to e-mail monitoring, especially as it relates to privacy issues.
Unfortunately, privacy law does not offer black and white answers to the legal issues raised by e-mail monitoring practices. Instead, and like most other privacy law issues, the standard of “reasonableness” rules the day.
I recently penned an article on point (link below) with my colleague Andrew Buck (who is currently completing his Articles at Pitblado LLP) for the Canadian Bar Association’s National Privacy & Access Law section newsletter, Privacy Pages. Our article examines some of the case law and commentary that has arisen from e-mail monitoring with a view towards setting out practical solutions for the creation of “reasonable” e-mail monitoring practices. If you’re interested in reading the full article, please click on the link below.
Monitoring employee e-mail: a privacy primer
1 Comment | Access to Information, E-mail, Employee Monitoring, Monitoring, PIPA, PIPEDA, Personal Information, Privacy, Technology | Tagged: Access to Information, E-mail, Monitoring, Privacy | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
April 30, 2009
Are you a parent with children who use the Internet? Do your children have a better understanding of this new and constantly changing technology? Have your children ever texted “fts” or told you to “bma” in an online message ? I sure hope not!
If you have children, I’d encourage you to visit the Internet 101 website, which provides some great information to increase your computer knowledge. The site provides excellent resources including Tutorials to help you learn more about the online world, Technical Tips to help keep your computer secure, Chat Lingo to help you learn the online lingo, Popular Online Activities to expose you to what today’s youth are doing online, and an Internet Agreement to be signed between parents and children to help your family stay safe in the online world.
Even if you don’t have children, there is some valuable information on the site worth reading.
Leave a Comment » | Blogs, Facebook, Identity Theft, Internet, Privacy, Safeguarding, Social Networking Websites, Technology, Youth | Tagged: E-mail, Facebook, Information Technology, Internet, Social Networking, Youth | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 12, 2009
Canada, U.S. laws on privacy complex
My September 3, 2008 column in the Winnipeg Free Press reports on the findings of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding canada.com’s outsourcing to a U.S. based service provider. The finding highlights the complexities of Canadian and U.S. laws as they relate to the personal information of customers and reminds Canadian businesses of the need to have legal agreements with third party service providers, especially those located in the U.S.
Leave a Comment » | Due Diligence, Government, Privacy, Safekeeping | Tagged: Customers, Due Diligence, E-mail, Outsourcing, PIPEDA, Privacy, Safeguarding, U.S. Patriot Act | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 5, 2009
Leave a Comment » | Employee Monitoring, Online Reputation Management, Privacy, Security | Tagged: E-mail, Employee Monitoring, Internet, Privacy, Rights, Social Networking, Workplace Surveillance | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
Have you ever wondered if an electronic document like an e-mail or a scanned image can be used instead of a paper document to meet a legal requirement? How about using an electronic signature as opposed to a written signature?
Is your employer monitoring your Net use?
Fight spam: “Don’t try, don’t buy and don’t reply”
