Data Protection Day - 

Data Privacy Day

2022

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) is marking Data Privacy Week with the following presentations, social media content and publications:

• We launched Social Smarts: Nothing Personal!, our newest graphic novel aimed at children aged 8-10, to help young Canadians to better understand and navigate privacy issues in the online world. The 12-page graphic novel covers topics such as data collection, targeted advertising, cybersecurity and online gaming. To accompany the graphic novel, we have also developed a discussion guide that educators can use to generate further discussion and learning. See our related news release. 

• We have created a Microsoft Teams background to help promote Data Privacy Week. We have also developed free social media graphics that individuals can use and share to celebrate Data Privacy Week. You can find the background and social media graphics on the OPC’s Data Privacy Week page.

• We published a blog post encouraging parents to have a “family tech talk” and pointing to tools and discussion points on our website.

• Throughout Data Privacy Week, we will be active on our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. Please visit @privacyprivee, @priveeprivacy and Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada/Commissariat à la protection de la vie privée to view and share our posts. 

• We will be delivering a presentation on artificial intelligence to Government of Canada employees working in institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act on January 28. 

• Commissioner Daniel Therrien will be participating in an event organized by the Public Service Information Community Connection on February 1. 

To celebrate International Data Privacy Day on January 28, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario is hosting a free, online webcast. 

This is a free event, but please register to view the webcast.

IPC Privacy Day Webcast: Empowering a New Generation of Digital Citizens

• Friday, January 28, 2022
• 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Free to Register

Countries around the world will be celebrating Data Privacy Day by highlighting the impact technology has on our privacy rights and the importance of valuing and protecting personal information.

To mark this occasion, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Patricia Kosseim, will host a free, online webcast on Friday, January 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST, entitled Empowering a New Generation of Digital Citizens. The theme of this year’s event is based on one of four strategic priority areas that will guide the IPC’s work over the coming years. The discussion will focus on how we can best champion the privacy and access rights of Ontario’s children and youth by promoting their digital literacy and digital rights while holding institutions accountable for protecting the children and youth they serve.

Key issues to be discussed include:

• integrating privacy education as part of the official school curriculum on digital literacy
• empowering children and youth to think critically about the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information and assert their privacy rights
• the role of regulation in protecting children and youth in the online world

The morning’s agenda:

• 9:30 a.m. – Welcome and introduction by IPC Commissioner, Patricia Kosseim
• 9:50 a.m. – Panel Discussion moderated by Assistant Commissioner, Eric Ward

• Jane Bailey, Professor of Law, University of Ottawa and CoLead of The eQuality Project
• Keith Baybayon, President, Ontario Student Trustees’ Association
• Anthony Carabache, Provincial Coordinator Additional Qualifications Courses, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
• Yael Ginsler, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, Student Achievement Division
• Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts
• Dave Meslin, activist and bestselling author of TEARDOWN: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up
• Jacob Ohrvik-Stott, Acting Head of Regulatory Futures, U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office

• 11:00 a.m. – Break
• 11:05 a.m. – Audience Q&A
• 11:25 a.m. – Closing remarks by Assistant Commissioner, Warren Mar
• 11:30 a.m. – Event ends

This year, to commemorate Data Protection Day, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, as the Information Commissioner will be launching a campaign to raise awareness of the growing “digital economy” (the “Campaign”). Said Campaign will aim to highlight that, whilst a growing digital economy can in many instances be considered a positive evolution to business practices, such evolution must be accompanied by appropriate mechanisms that safeguard personal data and uphold individuals’ rights in relation to the same. As such, the Information Commissioner advises that personal data uses that are detrimental to individuals may also become detrimental to the digital economy, and therefore, if data-driven business models are to thrive in a growing digital economy, data protection should be considered a pre-requisite for their success. 

The Campaign, aptly titled “Data Protection Boosts the Digital Economy”, includes the following –

•  a series of infographics that highlight main developments and trends in the digital economy whilst at the same time, laying emphasis on the possible risks presented in the digital environment and the appropriate safeguards provided by data protection legislation (the “Infographics”); and, 
• an explanatory video that draws attention to the exponential growth in the volumes and types of data processed, and the relationship between data protection and the developing digital economy (the “Video”). 

Both the Infographics and Video will be published on our website and shared on our social media platforms on Data Protection Day.

JOIC Schedule for Friday 28 January 2022

• 10am-10.45am  Little Jersey on the Big Stage
• 11.30-12.15pm Covid Vaccination Certificate - what, How When?
• 3.30pm-5.15pm the Big Fat Data Protection Quiz

A list of activities planned from 20 -28  January .

The three year strategic Plan for the Office of the data Protection Commissioner and the Data Protection Training Curriculum will be launched on 28 January 2022.

The Information Regulator South Africa will be hosting a webinar on the 28th January 2022 at 10:00 am (SAST) under the Theme “ Data privacy and POPIA: A joint responsibility in the protection of personal information is essential to curb cybercrime”.

The session will host a series of expert of data privacy from civil society, business and government who will drive the conversation around data breaches, the Cybercrime Act and its relation to Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the practices of cyber hygiene to protect personal information.

More information about the webinar.

The ICO is launching a listening exercise where we want to hear form our stakeholders to understand their experiences of data protection, to ultimately help us help them achieve their objectives under the law. There will also be a series of events held across the UK for business, industry, the public sector, academia and the public. 

Information Commissioner John Edwards said:

“I’m new here. I’ve worked in data protection and freedom of information for many years, and now my focus is on immersing myself in the UK system. I want to hear from businesses and organisations about their experiences. What’s working? What’s not? I want to know what would help you to achieve your objectives under our legislation.

“That information will help me to ensure the ICO can focus on a ‘how to’ approach, not a ‘don’t do’. I want to give businesses certainty in what the law requires of them and what the regulator does. It is this certainty, in my experience, that best reduces compliance costs for businesses and ensure people’s privacy is protected."

If you would like to take part, you can find out more at the Your Views Matter page