The Home of Commons referred to as on the federal government Tuesday to droop plans by the Public Well being Company of Canada to gather knowledge from thousands and thousands of cell phones to assist perceive journey patterns through the COVID-19 pandemic.
MPs handed a movement urging the federal government to droop a plan to increase the gathering of cellphone location knowledge till the privateness implications are regarded into.
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Ethics committee calls on PHAC to halt cellphone knowledge assortment to review COVID-19 patterns
The vote by MPs follows the passing of a movement by the Home of Commons ethics committee to halt the gathering of information till privateness considerations are addressed.
The committee movement was unanimously backed by MPs on the committee from all events, together with Liberals. However on Tuesday, when the movement got here earlier than the entire Home, the Liberals voted towards it.
The movement stated the tender shouldn’t be prolonged till the Commons ethics committee reviews that the privateness of Canadians is not going to be affected by the plans to gather cell phone location knowledge. It was supported by the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and NDP.
The federal government can ignore the movement if it needs and permit the general public well being company to press forward with its plans, regardless that the movement was handed by a majority of MPs.
However John Brassard, the Conservative Home chief who sits on the ethics committee, urged the federal government to pay heed to the desires of MPs.
He stated in an interview it was a “affordable request” to permit the Commons ethics committee to research the implications of information assortment for Canadians’ privateness, and to halt the tender till it has the prospect to report its findings.
Learn extra:
Opposition MPs push to droop public well being officers’ use of cellphone location knowledge
On Monday, the privateness commissioner gave proof to the ethics committee on the proposal.
“The privateness commissioner provided to look beneath the hood of this system,” Brassard stated. “He stated he had obtained many complaints.”
In December, the federal public well being company issued a brand new request for proposals to trace countrywide cell tower-based location knowledge between Jan. 1, 2019, and Might 31, 2023.
The discover stated the info have to be correct, accessible and well timed, in addition to making certain privateness and transparency. It should even be stripped of all figuring out data.
The general public well being company didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. It has beforehand stated that it has regarded into the privateness implications of the proposal and consulted its personal privateness specialists.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
