For the energy sector, cybersecurity has been a top-of-mind issue for some time. This is particularly true given some of the high-profile cyber-attacks seen in recent years that have grabbed not only media headlines but also resulted in operational disruption, financial losses and legal exposure. The challenge with cybersecurity is attacker tactics are constantly evolving … Continue reading
In our previous update, we summarized key operational elements that businesses should be aware of under the proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA), and provided practical tips to help businesses comply with these new requirements. As currently drafted, the CPPA codifies a number of best practices and recommendations issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada … Continue reading
Across the globe, the race is already underway among vehicle manufacturers to develop fully autonomous vehicles (AVs). AVs currently under development make sense of their surroundings and control vehicle operation through data gathered about the outside world. Like other connected vehicles, AVs can also collect and use specific personal information about a driver (e.g., through … Continue reading
In three recent cases, the Court of Appeal for Ontario effectively curtailed the ability of privacy breach victims to advance claims under the tort of intrusion upon seclusion against organizations for failing to prevent unauthorized access to personal information by third parties. However, while these cases should provide some reassurance that a cyberattack may not … Continue reading
As autonomous vehicle (AV) technology continues to grow in functionality and sophistication, it is only a matter of time before AVs become commercially available across Canada. The arrival of autonomous vehicles in Canada will raise a number of liability-related questions that touch on the areas of owner liability, product liability, and auto insurance. In this … Continue reading
The emergence of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Canada will present a number of cybersecurity challenges and risks. AV manufacturers will need to consider these risks and address them early in the design and development process of their products. In this post, we discuss some of the key cybersecurity risks associated with AVs, strategies to mitigate … Continue reading
In July of this year, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) released the final version of its Guideline B-13 (the Guideline), setting out technology and cyber risk management expectations for all federally regulated financial institutions (FRFIs), such as banks, insurance and trust companies. FRFIs will need to ensure that they have taken steps to … Continue reading
In recent years, autonomous vehicle (AV) technology has undergone rapid development and it is predicted that AVs may soon be in a state to displace human driving altogether. In Ontario, the Automated Vehicle Pilot Program is currently in place to permit the testing of certain AVs by vehicle manufacturers. As AV technology continues to develop, however, … Continue reading
On July 13, 2022, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) released its final Guideline B-13 (the Guideline), setting out technology and cyber risk management expectations for all federally regulated financial institutions (FRFIs), such as banks, insurance and trust companies. FRFIs will need ensure that they have taken steps to comply with the requirements … Continue reading
The House of Commons recently introduced Bill C-27, the successor to Bill C-11, which died on the docket when Parliament was dissolved in the fall of 2021. Bill C-27 introduces three new acts: the Consumer Privacy Protection Act (“CPPA”), the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (“AIDA”), which … Continue reading
On July 27, 2022, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) released its 2022 PIPA Breach Report.[1] The report analyzes the nearly 2,000 breach reports[2] received by the OIPC during the ten year period since reporting was mandated in Alberta under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)[3]. The PIPA Breach … Continue reading
On June 14, the House of Commons introduced Bill C-26: An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C-26). This bill is presented in two parts: The first is to amend the Telecommunications Act to promote the security of the Canadian telecommunications system; The second is to enact the Critical Cyber … Continue reading
As privacy incidents and security breaches involving personal information become increasingly frequent, organizations are more and more aware of the importance of implementing a robust privacy program to mitigate the risks and impacts of such incidents. While this preparation is important, organizations must also consider the aftermath of a privacy incident. In this first blog … Continue reading
On May 16, 2022, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (the “OPC”) released an Interpretation Bulletin (the “Bulletin”) on what it considers to be “sensitive” personal information under the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”). The Bulletin is meant to act as a consolidated guide based on jurisprudence, regulatory findings, … Continue reading
For many years, the immersive three-dimensional digital world has been left to the cinematic experience. However, the emergence of the metaverse presents an opportunity to translate everyday activities – working, attending a concert, travelling, shopping, socializing – into a parallel digital universe. The metaverse is an abstract concept that uses a digital environment to permeate … Continue reading
With the growth of the high-tech industry worldwide, it is no surprise that more and more transactions involve the transfer of rights to access or control data and derivative data. In our previous update we discussed protecting business data in a commercial context. In the M&A context, this valuable information is either the driving force of … Continue reading
Bill 64, which purports to modernise Québec’s privacy legislation, was recently passed. This sweeping reform of the province’s framework for processing personal information hinges on three main axes: increased obligations for enterprises that collect or otherwise process personal information, the creation of new rights for persons whose information is collected, and the imposition of far … Continue reading
In our previous publication, we discussed how a business’ data can be protected by characterizing it as intellectual property and protecting it as such. One of the most common ways to protect business data in a commercial context is through license agreements that impose contractual controls on the scope of protection of such data, as … Continue reading
How do you balance sharing and protecting your business’ data? Unlike tangible assets, which can be protected primarily through physical means, intangible assets such as data require additional considerations. One key strategy to protect your business’ data is to characterize, and protect, that data as intellectual property. Data as IP Copyright Original compilations of data … Continue reading
Given global trends in the development of privacy laws and enforcement, Canada and several provinces are looking at modernizing their respective privacy regimes. Ontario’s new proposed privacy law, which would govern commercial activities more broadly than current legislation (i.e., our federal legislation, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and Ontario’s health privacy … Continue reading
Investigative findings In a joint investigation report, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, together with the commissioners of BC, Alberta, and Quebec concluded that Clearview AI violated Canadians’ privacy rights under federal and provincial privacy laws by scraping billons of images of people available online to be continually used in what amounted to a virtual “police … Continue reading