In our current information age, security over electronic information and protection against unauthorized access is foundational to employers’ businesses. To guard against endlessly multiplying electronic threats, employers must resort to electronic means and, understandably, often resort to broad and comprehensive software to protect their operations. However, the situation involving the District of Saanich earlier this year is a good reminder to all B.C. employers that cyber-protection cannot be used at the expense of employees’ privacy. Moreover, recent amendments to the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which our colleagues posted on here, now make privacy law compliance of even higher importance in the federal sphere, by imposing higher standards and more serious consequences.

In the District of Saanich, shortly after Mayor Richard Atwell was sworn in, he was shocked to discover that the District’s IT department had installed spyware on its staff computers (including his), which … Continue reading “Lessons from the Saanich spyware fiasco and new privacy laws to be aware of”