Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Offline Article: Privacy rules impact IT

The February 2004 edition of the Nova Scotia Business Journal has an article by Rhia Perkins which is based, in part, on an interview with me. (As far as I know, it is not available online, but was distributed free with the Globe and Mail today.) Unfortunately, it contains some incorrect information. The first paragraph reads, in part:

... the way companies do their electronic business must change this year, or they may have to pay damages of up to $20,000.

I don't know where the author got that bit of information, since it is incorrect. There is no cap on damages and the $20,000 figure doesn't even rougly accord with the fines provisions contained in PIPEDA:

28. Every person who knowingly contravenes subsection 8(8) or 27.1(1) or who obstructs the Commissioner or the Commissioner's delegate in the investigation of a complaint or in conducting an audit is guilty of

(a) an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000; or

(b) an indictable offence and liable to a fine not exceeding $100,000.

Except for that, the article is pretty accurate!

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