Canada Post’s gathering of personal information for a marketing program sold to businesses is “absolutely outrageous," a former privacy commissioner says.
We can simplify this to apply more generally. “Is your data safe?”
The answer is no.
Betteridge’s law of news headlines strikes again!
Once again, people are being taken advantage of, and actions that should be opt-in, if allowed at all, are being implemented as opt-out. I was particularly amused by Canada Post’s response that Canadians enjoy getting marketing mail.
If you want to add your voice to the Privacy Commissioner’s recommendations, there is a form you can enter an anonymous complaint. Link. Also, if you want to do something other than share a concern, the full list of options can be found here.
Here’s what I put. Feel free to use it whole cloth, or as a starting point for your own personal opinions.
I just discovered that Canada Post is sharing our information with third-party marketers, and I do not approve. I will not currently opt out of this because that gives tacit approval to the idea that this should be an opt-out process, rather than an opt-in process if it’s allowed to happen at all.
Please continue to put pressure on Canada Post to change this policy, and thank you for your service to average Canadians.