Committees

STOP TPP by Chris West (CC BY 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/qohXkM

The Trouble with the TPP: My Appearance Before the International Trade Committee

Yesterday I appeared alongside Jim Balsillie, former co-CEO of Research in Motion, at the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade public consultation on the TPP. There were some interesting exchanges that I will highlight once the transcript is released. My opening remarks are posted below.

Appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade, May 5, 2016

Good morning. My name is Michael Geist.  I am a law professor at the University of Ottawa, where I hold the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. I appear today in a personal capacity representing only my own views.

There is lots to say about the TPP – I have written dozens of articles and posts on the agreement and I am currently working on a book on point – but I have limited time so I’ll focus briefly on four issues.

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May 6, 2016 — 3 comments — Committees, News
Wiertz Sebastien - Privacy by Sebastien Wiertz (CC BY 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/ahk6nh

Fixing the Digital Privacy Act: My Bill S-4 Appearance Before the Industry Committee

Yesterday I appeared before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology to discuss Bill S-4, the Digital Privacy Act. The discussion focused on a wide range of concerns, including the shortcomings in the security breach disclosure rules and the need for greater enforcement powers for the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Metro News covered the appearance.  My opening remarks are posted below.  I’ll link to the full transcript once available.

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March 11, 2015 — Comments are Disabled — Committees, News
Senate Chamber HDR by Intiaz Rahim (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/5LhGZg

Choosing Between Privacy and Cyberbullying: My Appearance on Bill C-13 Before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Yesterday I appeared before the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, which is studying Bill C-13, the lawful access/cyberbullying bill. The full transcript of the spirited discussion is not yet available, but my opening statement is posted below.

Appearance before the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, November 19, 2014

Good afternoon. My name is Michael Geist.  I am a law professor at the University of Ottawa, where I hold the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. I appear today in a personal capacity representing only my own views.

Given the limited time,  I’m going to confine my remarks to three privacy-related issues: immunity for voluntary disclosure, the low threshold for transmission data warrants, and the absence of reporting and disclosure requirements.

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November 20, 2014 — 5 comments — Committees, News
Diving Into the Digital Privacy Act: My Appearance Before Senate Transport & Comm Committee on S-4

Diving Into the Digital Privacy Act: My Appearance Before Senate Transport & Comm Committee on S-4

Last night I appeared before the Senate Transport and Communications Committee, which is conducting hearings on Bill S-4, the Digital Privacy Act. I have posted on the bill’s shocking expansion of warrantless voluntary disclosure, by pointing to a provision that would permit disclosure to any organization, not just law enforcement. This appearance provided the opportunity to discuss a broader range of issues, including positive elements in the bill (clarification of consent, expansion of the Commissioner publicly disclosing information, and a longer time period to bring a case to the federal court), the areas in need of improvement (security breach disclosure standards, voluntary warrantless disclosure, compliance agreements), and the glaring omission of stronger reporting requirements.

The surprise of the night came at the end, when the chair indicated that the committee did not plan to hear from any further witnesses. The bill will therefore move to clause-by-clause review next week.

Appearance before the Senate Transport and Communications Committee, June 4, 2014

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June 5, 2014 — 2 comments — Committees, News

The Trouble With Bill C-13: My Appearance before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

Earlier today, I appeared before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to discuss my concerns with Bill C-13, the lawful access/cyberbullying bill.  My opening statement focused exclusively on privacy, pointing to problems with immunity for voluntary disclosure, the low threshold for transmission data warrants, and the absence of reporting and disclosure requirements.  I’ll post a link to the transcript once available.  In the meantime, I’ve posted my opening statement below.

Appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, May 29, 2014

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May 29, 2014 — 4 comments — Committees, News
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