March 16, 2009
If you’re a privacy professional, you’re likely overwhelmed with the ongoing task of staying on top of legal, industry and technology developments. As you know, there’s no shortage of issues these days. Hopefully, this blog is helping your efforts!
But if you work for a private sector organization and haven’t yet signed up for the federal Privacy Commissioner‘s e-newsletter entitled Privacy Perspectives, I’d suggest you do. It contains great information and helps to stay on top of things.
If you’re in Manitoba and work for a public body, the Winter 2009 Issue of Manitoba OmbudsNews was published last Friday on the Manitoba Ombudsman‘s website. It’s also a great resource.
If you’re still in need of ongoing assistance and aren’t already a member of the Privacy Forum, you may want to touch base with me to learn more. It has been a super venue over the last 6 years for information sharing and the current members are an excellent group of individuals and first rate privacy professionals.
Leave a Comment » | 
Ombudsman, PIPEDA, Privacy, Training | Tagged: FIPPA, Manitoba, Ombudsman, PHIA, PIPEDA, Privacy, Privacy Commissioner, Privacy Compliance, Privacy Forum | 
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Posted by Brian Bowman
February 12, 2009
If you’re from Winnipeg, you’re well aware of the terrible tragedy of Brian Sinclair, who passed away in the emergency department of the Health Sciences Centre after waiting to see a doctor for 34 hours. Manitoba’s NDP government and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) have been dealing with the political and legal consequences since Mr. Sinclair’s death last fall.
I was asked yesterday to provide comment to the Winnipeg Sun on the validity of the government’s recent claim that it could not release the first administrative review into the tragedy because of privacy concerns. The story serves as a reminder to government bodies and businesses of the challenges (and need for expert legal counsel) when dealing with access to information and related privacy matters.
A separate story reported at TechCrunch demonstrates the risks when releasing redacted documents to the public. Canadian privacy laws typically require organizations to blackout, or redact, portions of documents that contain someone else’s personal information unless that person consents to its disclosure. It’s a time-consuming, but important, step that organizations need to take before disclosing documents under access to information legislation. But, as this story points out, organizations need to be very careful about how they redact!
Leave a Comment » | Access to Information, Privacy | Tagged: Access to Information, FIPPA, Government, Manitoba, Personal Information, Privacy, WRHA | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 10, 2009
Privacy law update good: Job needs full-time commissioner
My May 7, 2008 column in the Winnipeg Free Press explains the difference between Manitoba’s Information and Privacy Adjudicator and a privacy commissioner, as appointed in almost every other province and at the federal level.
Leave a Comment » | Access to Information, Ombudsman, PIPEDA, Privacy | Tagged: Access to Information, Ajudicator, FIPPA, Manitoba, Ombudsman, PHIA, Privacy, Privacy Commissioner | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 9, 2009
Ombudsman vital to public’s rights, but Doer forgets his 1999 promise to appoint a privacy commissioner
My December 5, 2007 column in the Winnipeg Free Press discusses the role of the Manitoba Ombudsman, and the need for a separate privacy commissioner.
Leave a Comment » | Government, Privacy | Tagged: FIPPA, Manitoba, Ombudsman, PHIA, Privacy, Privacy Commissioner | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 9, 2009
Incubator nurtures local digital gaming
My February 13, 2008 column in the Winnipeg Free Press reports on Canada’s first digital gaming business incubator, Fortune Cat Games Studio, and its efforts to assist entrepreneurs in this potentially lucrative field.
Leave a Comment » | Gaming, Intellectual Property, Marketing, Technology | Tagged: Businesses, Digital Gaming, Entrepreneurs, Fortune Cat Games Studio, Gaming Industry, Intellectual Property, Manitoba, Marketing, Technology | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 6, 2009
Province failing on privacy issues; citizens deserve better protection
My May 2, 2007 column in the Winnipeg Free Press poses a challenge to the participants in the upcoming provincial election of May 22, 2007 to follow through on promises of a Manitoba privacy commissioner.
Leave a Comment » | Access to Information, Identity Theft, Privacy, Security | Tagged: Access to Information, Election, Identity Theft, Manitoba, Privacy, Privacy Commissioner, Security | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 5, 2009
Feel you have no privacy? You’re not alone
My May 3, 2006 column in the Winnipeg Free Press examines the Manitoba Ombudsman’s 2003 report, which included a survey indicating that 60% of Manitobans believe that they have less personal privacy than they did in 1998.
Leave a Comment » | Privacy, Security | Tagged: FIPPA, Government, Manitoba, Manitoba Ombudsman, PHIA, Privacy | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
February 5, 2009
Years after Doer’s promise, Manitoba lacks privacy commissioner
My October 4, 2006 column for the Winnipeg Free Press recommends the Manitoba government follow up on a campaign promise to create a Manitoba privacy commissioner as exists in almost every other Canadian province.
Leave a Comment » | Access to Information, Privacy | Tagged: Access to Information, Manitoba, Privacy, Privacy Commissioner | Permalink
Posted by Brian Bowman
