Privacy and the negative option

Apparently the Privacy Commissioner's office is currently investigating a complaint related to the "opt out" policy of one of Canada's largest telecommunications companies. While this is not entirely a new issue, this article - in and of itself - demonstrates that complainants can easily seek publicity for their complaints as the media is very interested in covering privacy issues these days.

Yahoo! News - Privacy commissioner investigating new Rogers 'negative option' complaint:

"TORONTO (CP) - The federal privacy commissioner's office has opened an investigation into a Toronto man's complaint that the Rogers Wireless service contract includes a 'negative option' privacy policy that is illegal.

Communications consultant Michael Krauss complained in September about a fine-print section of the company's service agreement that requires cellphone customers to fill out an online form or contact a customer service representative to prevent Rogers from disseminating information to other Rogers companies for telemarketing. 'I have commenced an investigation under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) that Rogers Wireless is allegedly using negative consent when obtaining customers' permission to collect, use and disclose their personal information,' senior privacy investigator Kasia Krzymien told Krauss in a letter dated last Friday.... "