Information and privacy ombudspersons and commissioners in Canada are calling for the government to modernize access to information and privacy laws.
The access to information and privacy guardians state that the advancement of technology has impacted democratic principles and human rights.
They have also outlined that Canadians are concerned about the use of their personal information by private businesses and the government.
“Most Canadian access and privacy laws have not been fundamentally changed since their passage, some more than 35 years ago,” the joint resolution reads. “They have sadly fallen behind the laws of many other countries in the level of privacy protection provided to citizens.”
The resolution calls for a framework to ensure the responsible use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. It also calls for public and private sectors to be engaged in handling personal information and be subject to privacy laws.
It calls for enforcement powers such as imposable penalties, fines, and sanctions. Lastly, the resolution calls for the fact that the right of access should apply to all information held by public entities.
The information and privacy ombudspersons and commissioners in Canada say they are ready to collaborate and make suggestions to the government.
The federal government has been taking steps to ensure the responsible use of new technology. For instance it launched the advisory council for artificial intelligence in May.
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