Alberta Commissioner chastises speed dating service for erroneous e-mail disclosure

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta has chastised, in Order P2012-12 [PDF], a "speed dating service" for erroneously disclosing the e-mail address of a participant to a person who was not supposed to obtain it. Here is the summary from the Order:

Summary: The Complainant complained that her e-mail address was disclosed by Fast Life International (“the Organization”) contrary to the Personal Information Protection Act (“the Act”) when the Organization sent her e-mail address to an individual she met, but who she did not indicate was a “match” at a speed dating event.

The Adjudicator found that the Complainant’s e-mail address was her personal information and that it had been disclosed without her consent contrary to section 7 of the Act. The Adjudicator also found that the Organization had met its burden to prove that it had made reasonable security arrangements in compliance with section 34 of the Act. Finally, the Adjudicator found that the Organization had some policies and practices in compliance with section 6(1) of the Act but decided that the Organization needed to ensure that its employees were aware of the Organization’s obligations under the Act.