RECOMMENDATIONS

1.    Given the tremendous changes happening in social media and throughout the Internet, the Committee recommends that the Privacy Commissioner continue to be vigilant in protecting and keeping abreast of the privacy concerns of all Canadians.

2.    The Committee supports the recommendations made by the Privacy Commissioner in her Preliminary Letter of Findings regarding Google’s collection of Wi-Fi data and calls on Google to implement the Privacy Commissioner’s recommendations as soon as possible, and by the deadline of February 1, 2011 as set by the Privacy Commissioner. The Committee recommends that the Privacy Commissioner communicate with the Committee upon receiving confirmation of Google’s compliance with her recommendations.

3.    The Committee further recommends that the Privacy Commissioner alert the Committee to any concerns that might arise with respect to Google’s compliance with her recommendations.

4.    The Committee recommends that the Privacy Commissioner clarify with technology providers, such as those seen by the Committee, the importance of having in place explicit privacy training regimes for their employees.

5.    The Committee recommends that the Privacy Commissioner continue her outreach activities, such as through the fact sheet prepared for the public titled “Captured on Camera—Street-level imaging technology, the Internet and you”, to educate the public about their privacy rights and the risks and implications of new technology and social media.

6.    Finally, the Committee reiterates the recommendation made by the Privacy Commissioner herself, that technological innovators such as Google should implement “privacy by design” into the development of new products, and consult with the Privacy Commissioner, as well as her international counterparts as appropriate, to ensure that the privacy rights of the public continue to be protected in the digital world.