Canadians concerned about their privacy online and taking precautions: study

A number of Canadians have expressed concerns with how they believe their personal information is being handled by the government and companies, according to a study by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

The study noted that Canadians are also attempting to protect their privacy by taking certain precautions.

Eighty-seven percent of the Canadians surveyed were concerned with the way social media platforms gather personal information to create detailed profiles of individuals.

“These results are a strong indication that a majority of Canadians are aware of privacy issues and they want businesses and government to respect their privacy and to comply with privacy laws,” said Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien in a press release.

Two-thirds of individuals believe that the government is responsible for privacy protection, and nine in 10 people believe that their personal information on social media influences how decisions are made for them, the study said. These individuals believe that the information affects their chances for a job, health coverage, and insurance claims.

The findings come from a report that surveyed 1,500 Canadians and was conducted in February of this year.

The statistics are “considered accurate within plus or minus 2.5 percent, 19 times out of 20,” according to the press release.

The results of the survey have been released to mark Privacy Awareness Week.

The full report can be found here.

Source: Privacy Commissioner of Canada 

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