Welcome to the Data Brokers Project blog. This blog covers different facets of the data broker industry in Canada.
Does Canada Post sell personal information to third parties?
2019-03-06
By Nathan Hoo and Johann Kwan with research by Stéphane MacLean Over sixteen years ago, Canada Post was criticized by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for failing to adhere to its obligations under the Privacy Act. At the time, the Privacy Commissioner found that Canada Post violated the Privacy ActRead More →
Data-Driven Direct Marketing: Quality over Quantity
2019-01-18
by Liz Gray, with research from Stephane McLean Recent years have seen considerable change in the direct marketing industry. Marketers now aim for ‘quality over quantity’, preferring to reach the most likely targets rather than larger numbers. Achieving that quality takes ever-increasing amounts of data, as marketers refine their ‘idealRead More →
Statistics Canada’s participation in commercial data broker activities
2019-01-14
By Nathan Hoo with research from Rex Yeung Many Canadians only think of Statistics Canada (StatCan) as the agency that asks them to fill out a census every five years, but its powers and mandate extend beyond this. StatCan’s mandate under the Statistics Act is “to collect, compile, analyse, abstractRead More →
Data Broker Profiles – Acxiom and LiveRamp
2019-01-09
by Johann Kwan with research by Lily Wang On October 1st, 2018, Acxiom, one of the world’s largest data brokers, sold its Acxiom Marketing Solutions (AMS) division to the advertising giant Interpublic Group (IPG) for US $2.3 billion and consolidated its resources under its subsidiary brand, LiveRamp. AMS is Acxiom’sRead More →
Data Broker Profiles – Oracle Data Cloud, Oracle DLX (Datalogix), Bluekai
2018-12-05
by Johann Kwan with research by Lily Wang and Rex Yeung Oracle, one of the world’s biggest multinational technology companies, has been buying data broker companies and consolidating their services under the Oracle Data Cloud. In 2014, Oracle acquired data broker firms Bluekai and Datalogix (now Oracle DLX) and incorporatedRead More →
The Equifax Breach – Possible Ways Forward
2018-11-23
by Sara Shayan In 2017, Equifax suffered one of the largest data breaches in history. Attackers accessed Social Security Numbers, addresses, birthdates, credit card numbers, and other sensitive personal information relating to 143 million Americans and roughly 19,000 Canadians. Shortly after the massive breach, former Equifax CEO Richard F. SmithRead More →
The Equifax Breach – Background
2018-11-21
by Sara Shayan Equifax, one of only two credit bureaus operating in Canada (and one of three in the United States), has been in the business of collecting, analysing, and selling consumer information for nearly 120 years. In its infancy, the Atlanta-based company helped lenders gauge the trustworthiness of borrowersRead More →
Change in the Air? ETHI’s PIPEDA Recommendations and More
2018-11-19
by Dustin Moores As mentioned in our two previous posts, PIPEDA, Canada’s private sector privacy law, is sorely out of date. Despite being subject to mandatory review every five years, the law has not seen a substantial revision in its near-twenty year existence. Thankfully, it now seems that real changeRead More →
Data Breach Notifications Come to Canada, But More Required to Meet the Challenges Posed by Data Brokers
2018-11-16
by Dustin Moores In May 2017, hackers breached Equifax’s servers. Equifax, as you may recall from our podcast on the subject, is one of the world’s largest credit bureaus, and one of only two operating in Canada. Have you ever rented an apartment before? Applied for a mortgage or loan?Read More →
Data Broker Regulation: Change on the Horizon?
2018-11-14
by Dustin Moores It is often said that the law lags technology. When it comes to the laws that govern data brokers in Canada, this statement could not be more true. Canada’s federal private sector privacy law has not seen a substantial revision since coming into force in 2001, withRead More →