Canadians Told to Limit What They Share Online

Canada’s privacy commissioner is warning Canadians, the world’s biggest Internet users, to share less personal information online because of how easily that date can be harvested and used.

“We are living in a digital age, where our online activities can easily be tracked, stored, shared, and analyzed and we are under constant pressure to share more personal information,” Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart said in a press release to coincide with Data Privacy Day, marked annually around the world on Jan. 28.

“But given the power and complexity of today’s technologies, we should all be thinking less is more when it comes to sharing personal information on the Internet,” Stoddart added.

Canadians use the Internet more than anyone else in the world, logging an average of 43.5 hours of online browsing per month, almost twice the global average, according to a recent global ComScore report on Internet use and online trends.

However, many do not fully understand the implications this has for their privacy, the commissioner said. Those who put personal information on the Internet have very little control over who sees it, how it is used, or how long it will be available.

“By sharing less personal information, we can help limit our exposure and the risks of our personal information being misused, abused or disclosed without consent,” she said.

Businesses and organizations that collect personal information also need to be careful, Stoddart noted.

“Collecting and holding excess data raises the risks for your customers, but it is also costly for your business. It increases your risk of data breaches—which can be damaging to your reputation and expensive to clean up.”

As part of Data Privacy Day 2012, Microsoft is also reminding Canadians to be mindful of their reputation when engaged in online activities.

The organization says everything a person does online—from responding to emails and texts, uploading photos, making purchases or clicking the “like” and retweet buttons on favorite Web pages—contributes to their online reputation.

A global survey commissioned by Microsoft found that in Canada, 57 percent of adults and 55 percent of children aged 8–17 do not think about the long-term impact of their online activities on their personal reputation, and only 37 percent of adults and 41 percent of children think about the long-term impact of their online activities on the reputations of others.

Eleven percent of Canadian adults surveyed said they have experienced negative consequences—such as getting fired or losing their health insurance—due to online activities by others.

“Protecting what you share online is very important. Online information can affect your friendships, promotions, and job offers. It shapes how people see you,” said John Weigelt, national technology officer, for Microsoft Canada.

“Without protection, your personal data can also be used against you in online fraud or by unwanted marketers. Canadians need to protect themselves and help children get into the right habits as well.”