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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.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Whoa, Canada: SSN Request Doesn't Add Up

The Washington Post is reporting on the interesting practice of a Canadian online retailer that has been demanding social security numbers from American customers. Weird.

Whoa, Canada: SSN Request Doesn't Add Up:
"Gaithersburg reader Denise McQuighan was ordering a pair of $269 Mission D3C roller hockey skates for her son, Patrick, from an online Canadian sports-equipment retailer recently, but she stopped cold when the order form required her Social Security number.
'The Web site indicated that this was needed by the U.S. Customs agents for some reason,' says McQuighan, who knows better than to hand out her Social Security number (SSN) to just anyone who asks for it.
McQuighan told Patrick to find different skates -- from a U.S. company. 'But could you tell me,' she asks via e-mail, 'is there some requirement to provide a SSN to order something from Canada?'
The policy statement at the retailer's Web site, http://www.hockeygeeks.com , says: 'We require a Social Security number for U.S. customers or else products cannot cross the border and failure to provide this information will result in delayed or even non-shipment.'..."

Labels: information breaches