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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

They're watching and know who you are

Part two of the weeklong series of articles on privacy issues by Canwest reporter Richard Foot has been published in the Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun, etc. This part is on surveillance and the possibility of pervasive surveillance being coupled with facial recognition software.

They're watching you, and they know who you are (Ottawa Citizen):
"Biometric face recognition is about to change the way governments do business, and could remove our last shreds of anonymity, writes Richard Foot.
Richard Foot
The Ottawa Citizen
December 28, 2004
In London, Ont., 16 video cameras mounted on traffic poles keep a 24-hour watch on downtown streets for the city's police. In New York City, more than 2,400 outdoor video cameras -- many operated by private companies -- gaze out over the streets of Manhattan alone.
'No matter what, walking through the world these days, you're going to end up on video camera,' says David Fraser, a Halifax privacy lawyer.
Public surveillance isn't a new phenomenon, but despite its creeping presence, Canadians have maintained a measure of anonymity when we venture outside our homes. Video cameras might be watching us in public places, but unless we're famous or infamous, they usually can't identify who we are.
Until now...."

Labels: information breaches, surveillance