Privacy Watchdog to Focus on Online Tracking

Data collected on consumers' internet habits needs better oversight and consent for the sake of Canadians' privacy.

Canada's privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, is taking aim at companies that track people's online activities without their express consent. Stoddart said online tracking would be one of her office's priorities after revealing the results of a year-long, Canada-wide consultation with the public over privacy issues. Consumer data is digital gold for marketing companies, but Stoddart said too often web users aren't made aware of what information they're handing over, to whom they're giving it, and how that company will use it. Stoddart is also calling on the government to legislate more powers for her office to levy fines on companies found to be breaching people's privacy.