A study from the University of Toronto measured how different companies responded to consumer requests for personal data, CBC Radio reports. “Approaching Access” tracked 24 requests drawn from 6,000 customers made through the Access My Info tool created by the report’s lead author, Andrew Hilts. Most of the companies that responded gave different answers when faced with the same type of requests. When consumers pushed for more detailed answers from telecom companies, they were told they had to pay a fee, a response Hilts disagrees with. "I think any request for a payment acts as a barrier to access, because what we've seen from people who've requested their data is any sort of roadblock they encounter can serve to discourage them," Hilts said.
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