June 3 2011 - Privacy Commissioner's new powers: a distinction without a difference?
As described in a previous issue of PrivacyScan, Bill C-28, which establishes Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation ("CASL"), includes a number of alterations to the powers of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA"). Some of these changes - which were declared in force as of April 1, 2011 - include greater discretion for the Commissioner in handling complaints and broader authority to share information and collaborate with domestic and international counterparts.
This issue of PrivacyScan considers the Commissioner's recently added discretionary powers to deal with complaints in a summary manner, and suggests that they might be less novel than they seem.