Grants fund studies of privacy issues

by Lynda Hills

Two upcoming studies at UVic will investigate ways to protect our privacy in an age of sophisticated technology.

Through the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Dr. Colin Bennett (political science) has been awarded $27,390 to study the privacy implications of mobile technologies such as global positioning systems and vehicle tracking devices.

"With the proliferation of hand-held devices, location-based services, cell phones, and personal digital assistants, it's now possible for organizations and employers to determine where you are at particular times of the day," says Bennett.

Mobile workers such as truck drivers, taxi drivers, courier services, 911 callers, and even teenagers out in the family car can now be tracked by this emerging technology.

"Once the technology is in place, how is it used? Do law enforcement or marketing companies have access to the information?" asks Bennett. "Imagine walking by Starbucks and all of a sudden a message comes on your phone, ‘Fancy a coffee?'"

Bennett will identify the range of products and services that are currently available in Canada, analyse the privacy risks associated with the products, and study the legal implications of the collection of data. Ultimately, he'll provide the privacy commissioner with advice on the kinds of problems that are most likely to arise now and in the future.

Dr. Terry Huston (business), and Dr. Francis Lau (health information science) have been awarded $49,600 to study electronic health records and protection of personal information. The study is a partnership with University of Alberta's Nola Reis, a research affiliate in UVic's school of health and information science.

"The sharing of information and compromising of confidentiality is potentially easier to do in an electronic system," Huston says.

In response to privacy concerns in the electronic medium, the Canadian government introduced legislation in 2000 known as the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Document Act (PIPEDA).

"We're evaluating the implications of PIPEDA and how it affects the way we share information or even practise health care," Huston says. "Now, instead of a paper record being in a file cabinet, it's on the computer and the wrong push of the button by an employee can send it out."

The study will include research into relevant legislation, judicial decisions, and legal and policy literature. They hope to raise awareness in health care organizations about how information can accidentally be shared.

"Patients need to be assured that their privacy and the confidentiality of their health care information is not compromised of it may erode their trust in health care providers and the health care system," says Huston.