Investigation finds no evidence that Canadian Human Rights Commission accessed individual's Internet connection

An individual complained that the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) improperly collected and used her personal information by accessing her wireless internet connection to post messages on a white supremacist website. The OPC investigated whether the CHRC contravened sections 4 to 8 of the Privacy Act. The investigation first determined that the complainant's IP address, when linked to her identity via a subpoena, constituted personal information under section 3 of the Act. However, the OPC found no evidence that the CHRC ever collected or had knowledge of the complainant's personal information prior to the allegations. Technological experts suggested the association of the complainant's IP address with the CHRC was likely a third-party mismatch. Consequently, the Assistant Privacy Commissioner concluded there was no contravention of the Privacy Act.