Brian Bowman - On the Cutting Edge » E-mail

Are you a spammer? What you need to know about Canada’s new anti-spam law

Brian Bowman — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:38:25 +0000

Tired of reading? How about a video to help you learn about Canada’s new anti-spam law?

I’m delighted to let you know about a cool feature on Pitblado’s new website called the “Whiteboard Sessions”, which are vlogs (or video blogs). We’ve just posted a 3 minute vlog of mine entitled “Are you a spammer?“, wherein I discuss:

highlights of the new law
why you should care
an overview of the rules
penalties for non-compliance; and
proactive tips to help comply with the law

To watch “Are you a spammer?” please click here>>

Filed under: Anti-Spam Legislation, E-mail, Facebook, Internet, Marketing, Online Marketing, Privacy, Social Networking Websites, Technology Tagged: E-mail, Facebook, Internet, Online Reputation Management, Privacy, Social Networking, Spam

The NDP’s decade of dithering on e-commerce

Brian Bowman — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:11:35 +0000

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.

Read more>>

Filed under: Government, Internet, Online Shopping, Sale Transactions, Technology Tagged: E-mail, Government, Internet, Technology

Monitoring employee e-mail: A privacy primer

Brian Bowman — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:21:28 +0000

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

Posted in Access to Information, E-mail, Employee Monitoring, Monitoring, Personal Information, PIPA, PIPEDA, Privacy, Technology Tagged: Access to Information, E-mail, Monitoring, Privacy

Do you know Internet 101?

Brian Bowman — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:33:25 +0000

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.

Posted in Blogs, Facebook, Identity Theft, Internet, Privacy, Safeguarding, Social Networking Websites, Technology, Youth Tagged: E-mail, Facebook, Information Technology, Internet, Social Networking, Youth

Canada, U.S. laws on privacy complex

Brian Bowman — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:48:45 +0000

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.

Posted in Due Diligence, Government, Privacy, Safekeeping Tagged: Customers, Due Diligence, E-mail, Outsourcing, PIPEDA, Privacy, Safeguarding, U.S. Patriot Act

Is your employer monitoring your Net use?

Brian Bowman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:14:54 +0000

Is your employer monitoring your Net use?

My March 7, 2005 column in the Winnipeg Free Press discusses the legal right of employers to monitor their employees’ email and internet surfing habits.

Posted in Employee Monitoring, Online Reputation Management, Privacy, Security Tagged: E-mail, Employee Monitoring, Internet, Privacy, Rights, Social Networking, Workplace Surveillance

Fight spam

Brian Bowman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:37:46 +0000

Fight spam: “Don’t try, don’t buy and don’t reply”

My June 1, 2005 column in the Winnipeg Free Press talks about the National Task Force on Spam, established by Industry Canada.

Posted in Online Reputation Management, Spam Tagged: E-mail, Industry Canada, Online Reputation Management, Spam