Early resolved case summary #2015-01: Store stops practice of posting pictures of suspected shoplifters - July 2015
A customer complained to the OPC after noticing a department store publicly displaying photographs of individuals, asking for information about them. The store claimed police and legal counsel advised this practice was permissible for alleged shoplifters. The OPC disagreed, explaining that publicly disclosing personal information (photographs) without consent is not allowed under PIPEDA. The store agreed to remove the pictures and discontinue the practice, opting to deal with police directly for such matters. The complainant was satisfied with this resolution.
- 1Whether publicly displaying photographs of suspected shoplifters without consent constitutes an unauthorized disclosure of personal information under PIPEDA
- 2Whether photographs of individuals recorded on video surveillance are considered personal information under PIPEDA
- Public display of photos: Practice found non-compliant with PIPEDA
- Resolution of complaint: Store agreed to cease practice
- Complainant satisfaction: Complainant satisfied with resolution
Complaint early resolved — store discontinued practice
The OPC determined that publicly displaying photographs of individuals without their consent constituted an unauthorized disclosure of personal information under PIPEDA. The store agreed to cease the practice upon being informed of this interpretation.
The store agreed to remove the pictures from the bulletin board and discontinue its practice of publicly displaying photographs of suspected shoplifters. It also agreed to deal with the police on such matters in the future.
- Principle 4.3 PIPEDA
This summary is informational only and not legal advice.
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