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Articles on Data law

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People produce mountains of data every day, but not all data is treated the same under the law. Orbon Alija/E+ via Getty Images

Data privacy laws in the US protect profit but prevent sharing data for public good – people want the opposite

Profit-friendly data privacy laws in the U.S. are out of step with public sentiment and hinder uses the public supports, from reducing opioid overdose deaths to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos speaks via video conference during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on antitrust on Capitol Hill on July 29, 2020, in Washington. (Pool via AP/Graeme Jennings)

How open data could tame Big Tech’s power and avoid a breakup

Taming Big Tech’s market power requires addressing their monopoly over user-related data collection instead of employing traditional antitrust measures such as breaking up the firms.
Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Howard Njoo are reflected in a computer screen showing date on Canada’s COVID-19 situation during a news conference in Ottawa on April 13, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Race-based health data urgently needed during the coronavirus pandemic

Gathering race-based data during the coronavirus pandemic is essential for Indigenous communities, racialized people and those with disabilities and mental health challenges.
Biometrics like retinal scans is a new frontier in the privacy wars. Reuters/Mike Blake

Congress is considering privacy legislation – be afraid

States like California have been at the forefront of privacy innovation in recent decades. A possible federal law could bring their experimentation to a halt, harming consumers.
The Department of Home Affairs argues this new framework will not compel communications providers to build systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities into their systems. Mick Tsikas/AAP

The devil is in the detail of government bill to enable access to communications data

The broad and ill-defined new powers outlined in the government’s new telecommunications bill are neither necessary nor proportionate – and contain significant scope for abuse.
What secrets will your DNA give away? Connect world/shutterstock.com

Your genome may have already been hacked

When you send off a cheek swab to one of the private genome companies, you may sacrifice not just your own privacy but that of your family and your ancestors.
A cell phone user thumbs through the privacy settings on a Facebook account in Ottawa in March 2018. Canadians need to start making companies accountable for mining and using their personal data without their consent. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

It’s time we demanded the protection of our personal data

Canadians — and consumers around the world — have the power to hold industries accountable for misuse or unauthorized use of our data. It’s time to use it.
Social media companies combine many pieces of information into a complex digital profile. Tetiana Yurchenko/Shutterstock.com

To serve a free society, social media must evolve beyond data mining

For years, watchdogs have warned of the potential problems of sharing data with online companies. The Facebook data crisis has made these concerns much more real. What should be done now?

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