First, some sad news to share: the first Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Province of British Columbia passed away this week. David Flaherty was someone who was really ahead of his time when it came to privacy.
He established that office and was its commissioner from 1993 to 1999. He remained involved in privacy for many years, serving external advisory groups at the provincial and federal level, and mentoring many of our finest in the privacy community.
Elizabeth Denham CBE, former U.K. Information Commissioner and former British Columbia Information and Privacy Commissioner said this to me about David, which I think sums it up pretty perfectly:
“David Harris Flaherty would have become a towering figure in any field. But he chose privacy and information rights as his vocation and his cause. He paved the way for all of us who work as privacy professionals in Canada. David advanced his career by training and mentoring others. And that is really his legacy. Right up to the final days of his life he kept pushing me to ever more ambitious goals. Even so, he disliked ‘privacy zealots, and insisted (rather fervently) on the need for privacy pragmatists! Lessons from his practical advice and critical insights have guided my own tactics as a regulator. Following my dear friend and mentor’s passing on October 11, 2022, I find it easier by far to say ‘thank you’ than ‘goodbye’.”
I’ll remember David passionately recounting privacy stories over a nice glass of Scotch. It’s a good memory and it’s clear he will be missed by many. I invite you to read the British Columbia's OIPC statement about his many contributions.
British Columbia has indeed been blessed with a slew of strong Commissioners. Speaking of Elizabeth Denham, she penned an important op-ed that was published in the Globe and Mail this week. It’s about what’s needed to protect children’s privacy and it’s a must read for privacy pros.
Former Commissioner Denham points out there has been some encouraging progress in jurisdictions like the U.K. and California, where lawmakers have seen fit to pass rules about protecting children from the harms that can materialize in our digital world. Notwithstanding this progress, however, we need to remain vigilant and continue to press upon the need for better protections for our youth. She offers concrete advice on this front to our lawmakers.
As Canada continues to explore the passage of more modern privacy laws, I echo her call to action. We’ve created a digital world that has a great many benefits, but that is also all too often harmful to our kids. As parents, we have roles to play, but it goes well beyond that. We need organizations that have kids as customers to behave ethically and in the best interest of the child. That’s a tall order when most organizations work for the best interests of their shareholders, but it’s more than possible. I hope you’ll agree this is worthwhile endeavor and add your voice to the call.
