There’s an excellent opinion piece this week in The Globe and Mail by Professor Colin Bennett from British Columbia. I’ve mentioned Colin before in this space — mostly when talking about the dire need to subject Canada’s political parties to stricter privacy laws. As you might have guessed, his opinion is also on this subject. It is smart in its comparison to what is going on in the United Kingdom and what ICO Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has been tackling in recent months.

Apart from being mandatory reading for all Canadian privacy pros, I’m glad to see mainstream media like The Globe publish it because, in my mind, this is also important reading for all Canadians. Especially our politicians. But, if we want our politicians to listen to us, we have to be vocal and tell them these issues matter to us.

Colin’s piece ends by quoting Commissioner Denham. And while I know you’re all going to take the time to read it yourselves, the quote is worth repeating: “Data crimes are real crimes.” Welcome to the information age and all its implications!