Alberta’s connected devices fared well in global privacy sweep

Devices that connect to the internet appear to be faring well in the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s latest sweep of the internet.

Alberta’s office has joined 24 other privacy regulators around the world to look at internet connected devices.

Their goal is to see how well the organizations communicated privacy matters to their customers.

In Alberta, they reviewed the smart meters that are being used by utility companies for billing and insurance companies’ usage based insurance programs for vehicles.

Commissioner Jill Clayton says the results in Alberta were positive and privacy issues and risks were being communicated.

Her review comes after insurance companies were allowed to offer the option in the province earlier this year.

Before being allowed to enter Alberta, the Superintendent of Insurance required providers to submit privacy impact assessments.

Three have been received by Clayton’s office.

The smart meter programs that were analyzed encrypted information between the smart meters and meter readers.

“The ingenuity and advancements in the Internet of Things in such a short time is astonishing and in many ways these devices do provide a variety of benefits,” said Clayton. “But the exponential increase of what are essential surveillance devices does give pause to consider what impacts they may have on privacy rights.”

Internationally, the report showed that of the more than 300 defices reviewed.

* 59 per cent failed to adequately explain to customers how their personal information was collected, used and disclosed
* 68 per cent failed to property explain how information was stored
* 72 per cent failed to explain how customers could delete their information off the device.
* 38 per cent failed to include easily identifiable contact details if customers had privacy concerns.

The work was done by the Global Privacy Enforcement Network.

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