Canadians in the dark about how their data is collected and used, report finds

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Canadians in the dark about how their data is collected and used, report finds

Published

1 year ago

May 18, 2022

OTTAWA — A new report says digital technology has become so widespread at such a rapid pace that Canadians have little idea what information is being collected about them or how it is used.

The report by David Lyon, former director of the Surveillance Studies Centre at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., highlights a need for more transparency in data collection and analysis, as well as new digital rights and means of ensuring justice for Canadians.

Based on research from 2016-21, “Beyond Big Data Surveillance: Freedom and Fairness” says regulations have not evolved quickly enough to keep up with ever-changing technologies.

In addition, the report argues that some, such as women, Black people and Indigenous groups, are more exposed to surveillance than others.

The research team looked at the use of “big data” in security and policing, marketing and political persuasion, and governance through innovations such as “smart cities.”

The Surveillance Centre is hosting a conference this week at the University of Ottawa to coincide with release of the findings.

“To imagine that surveillance problems reside mainly in cameras on the street or in the building you enter is to live in the past. You carry the primary surveillance technology in your pocket — your phone,” said Lyon, professor emeritus at Queen’s.

The report comes as the federal government studies potential changes to privacy laws governing agencies in the public and private spheres amid the growing influence of social media platforms and tools such as facial recognition software.

A persistent problem identified by the research was lopsided information — the notion that citizens and consumers have little idea what data is collected about them, let alone the consequences of being visible. Meanwhile, the report notes, corporations and governments amass huge amounts of data on Canadians, often using it in unspecified ways.

The report also cites the dilemma of today’s “tangled surveillance” that is more complex than in the past.

Artificial intelligence has led to calls for more transparency about how algorithms work, along with broader ethical guidelines, the report says. “But few, even among computer scientists, have worked out what such transparency might entail.”

Meanwhile, various agencies, including police departments, press for the use of more data analytics, while the COVID-19 pandemic has opened new avenues of data surveillance.

“Changes in technology and practice appear far faster than any regulations to rein them in,” the report says.

“Few can keep up with the speed and magnitude of changes in data analysis and use, which means less protection, especially for the most vulnerable.”

Among the report’s recommendations:

— Move beyond traditional privacy protection to ensuring data rights and justice as personal information is increasingly used at a mass level;

— increase collaboration between researchers in social and computing sciences, regulators and civil society; and

— expand public awareness of how Canadians are being affected every day by data monitoring.

“Our post-pandemic world demands thoughtful and decisive action to assess and confront the emerging world of surveillance, which is everywhere and often discriminatory,” the report says.

“The issues deserve to be front-and-centre of educating everyone for everything from safe smartphone use to responsible computing systems. We need innovative modes of assessing and regulating digital developments. A freer and fairer society is a more humanly habitable world.”

Elizabeth Denham, who served as information and privacy commissioner in British Columbia and information commissioner in the United Kingdom, told the conference Wednesday that greater accountability and transparency are needed from large online platforms.

That means data laws that “actually require companies to be much more transparent about the algorithms that they’re using, about the technologies that they’re using,” Denham said.

She suggested that such laws will emerge when competition, content and data regulators “come together in a much more integrated way.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2022.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

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September 25, 2023

Harry Miller

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House Speaker apologizes for honouring Ukrainian who fought in Nazi unit in WW II – CBC.ca

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3 hours ago

September 25, 2023

Harry Miller

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Housing and Accommodation Challenges Experienced by Canada’s Black Population

Published

3 hours ago

September 25, 2023

Susan Murphy

Every human is entitled to housing and accommodation as part of their fundamental human rights and needs. While some residents of Canada enjoy this, the black community is socially exempted.

Canada’s Black population is currently experiencing discrimination from homeowners and landlords who prevent them from renting a home. Some blatantly refuse individuals with darker skin tones, while others raise the terms needed to rent the place, making it almost impossible for the average black person to sign an agreement.

According to a study by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, landlords often refuse people of African descent because some believe they are criminals or have too many children. These stereotypes harm the black population, preventing them from getting crucial accommodations for themselves and their family.

The situation becomes more tedious for immigrants as their post-arrival experience is riddled with fear, isolation, and anxiety. These individuals face discrimination from Landlords during the renting process as they encounter harassment and refusal for nothing more than their skin colour.

Factors like culture, economics, and language barriers also reinforce these feelings of inferiority in African immigrants, and many are yet to adjust to Canada’s language or ways of operation.

Housing is also scarce in Canada due to extremely low vacancy rates, insufficient social accommodation, and rent-geared-to-income housing. Therefore, getting a place to stay becomes more tricky for immigrants since the low vacancy rate results in higher rent fees.

Unfortunately, limited data that describes the racial background of renters makes it challenging to demonstrate and quantify the extent of discrimination that renters of colour experience in housing.

The absence of this race-based data hinders the efforts of advocates from these communities to bring about changes in housing policies and practices to address discrimination.

Nevertheless, the limited data available from the University of Toronto indicates that there has been an increase in household income levels since the 1970s. Unfortunately, individuals living in low-income neighbourhoods still earn incomes that are below the average.

Even in neighbourhoods where income levels rise, there tends to be a decrease in the percentage of immigrants residing there. Consequently, the likelihood of residents in these neighbourhoods being people of colour also decreases significantly due to their economic state and discrimination.

While Canada’s black population and dark-skinned immigrants can challenge unfair housing requirements and racism due to Canada’s housing rights and the country’s anti-discrimination policies, many do not.

One reason is the hassle associated with filing a complaint and going through the necessary processes before emerging victorious. By that time, money and time have been spent, which isn’t something someone with limited time to find housing desires.

Another reason many African Canadians don’t challenge unfair housing requirements because some are unaware of Canada’s housing rights. Others don’t have the connection to community advocates to help find better housing in their desired neighbourhood.

Ultimately, the deliberate rejection of people of colour from acquiring housing in Canada is an act of pure racism and discrimination developed by unhealthy stereotypes of the black community. Such situations push these desperate individuals to low-income areas since Landlords raise the already high housing cost beyond the financial capacity of black renters.

Such acts of racism require additional efforts from the Canadian Government to implement a system to report discrimination regarding housing with quick resolution. Further action is needed to reform landlords to service people of colour according to the standard for Landlords, irrespective of what stereotypes they believe.