October 22 2010 - Privacy "What if?": the game show approach to surveillance
This is the first in a two-part series that explores two interesting privacy scenarios and speculates about what might happen if either of these scenarios led to a complaint to our federal Privacy Commissioner.
This issue is based on the U.K. experiment in which private citizens are being recruited to monitor closed-circuit television ("CCTV") cameras for shoplifting in retail establishments, and how it might be addressed under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA").
Murray creates a hypothetical fact situation involving similar activities conducted in Canada, which involves a hypothetical company and a hypothetical complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
In both scenarios, after presenting his own views on the issues raised and likely outcomes, a panel of four distinguished lawyers with expertise in private sector privacy law provide further comment and analysis.
It is fascinating to read the various opinions on what Murray refers to as "the game show approach to surveillance", which could come to Canada in the future.