Report on Wireless Code privacy rule compliance flags paper copies

Wireless service providers aren’t necessarily adhering to Wireless Code rules mandating that customers receive paper copies of their privacy policies, according to a new CRTC-commissioned report. The report, published on the CRTC’s website Friday, is part of the ongoing Wireless Code review, which will be the subject of a four-day public hearing beginning Feb. 6 in Gatineau, Que. It was produced by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. using information compiled from interviews with nine privacy officers representing 15 wireless service providers, the report said, as well as publicly available information, and an interview with a member of the federal privacy commissioner’s office. The code stipulates that customers should be provided with “a paper copy of the contract and related documents, unless the customer expressly and knowingly decides that an electronic copy is acceptable,” including the privacy policy. “Based on the interviews conducted, only one major WSP and its flanker-brand WSP provide a hard copy of their privacy policy to the customer when they sign their service agreement,” the report said. The privacy officers interviewed also said the “customer requests for hard copies of their respective privacy policy are rare amongst WSPs of all sizes,” and that the majority of providers “have a simplified summary of the privacy policy included in their service contracts.” Overall, the report found those in charge of privacy for wireless providers “consider that they are generally complying with Wireless Code’s privacy rules; however, the CRTC may wish to explore this issue further during the Wireless Code policy review — in particular with respect to paper copies and accessible copies for people with disabilities.” Among the greatest challenges to protecting wireless customers’ privacy are providing “meaningful” notice and obtaining “meaningful” consent, human error, and the Internet of Things (IoT), the report said. When it comes to IoT, privacy officers said “they cannot control how individuals share their across various applications and devices, but a risk to their customers’ privacy may still exist.” In the notice included with the report, the CRTC noted that the new document is part of the proceeding, even though parties have not yet had a chance to comment on it. “Accordingly, the Commission hereby notifies parties that they may comment on the areas of the Report that are within the scope of this proceeding if they so choose. Appearing parties may do so in their oral presentations at the public hearing, or in their final written comments,” the regulator said. “Non-appearing parties may do so in their final written comments.” — With reporting by Charelle Evelyn at cevelyn@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

Report on Wireless Code privacy rule compliance flags paper copies

Broadcast | January 25, 2017

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