On May 8, 2014, the Federal, Alberta and British Columbia Privacy Commissioners released new guidelines for organizations collecting, using and disclosing personal information online – "Guidelines for Online Consent" ("Guidelines").
The Guidelines stem from the concern that private organizations do not always effectively disclose their privacy practices to online consumers and the Guidelines are therefore intended to define the Privacy Commissioners' expectations regarding how organizations can ensure that they obtain meaningful consent in the online environment. Aside from having a simple and transparent privacy policy on the website, the Guidelines also recommend providing just-in-time privacy notifications to explain an organization's privacy practices at key points. Furthermore, the Guidelines consider the special circumstances that may arise when an organization is managing the personal information of youth accessing the organization's website, such as the ability of youth to provide meaningful consent.
If your organization carries out activities that are subject to privacy laws and collects information online, these Guidelines provide helpful considerations for achieving meaningful consent to collect, use and disclose personal information.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
