Federal (Canada) privacy & access decisions

CIPPIC complained that Abika.com, a U.S. company, collected, used, and disclosed Canadians' personal information without consent, compiled and disclosed inaccurate personal information through its "psychological profile" service, and used personal information for inappropriate purposes. The OPC initially declined jurisdiction, but the Federal Court ordered the investigation to proceed. The OPC found that Abika collected and disclosed personal information, including telephone records, of Canadians without their knowledge or consent, often for inappropriate purposes such as investigating partners. While the OPC found the accuracy complaint not well-founded due to lack of verifiable evidence, it concluded that Abika contravened PIPEDA Principles 4.3 and subsection 5(3). Abika failed to respond adequately to the OPC's recommendations.

• Whether Abika collected, used, and disclosed personal information of individuals living in Canada without their knowledge and consent, in contravention of Principle 4.3
• Whether Abika compiled and disclosed inaccurate personal information through its "psychological profile" service, in contravention of Principle 4.6
• Whether Abika collected, used, and disclosed personal information about Canadians for inappropriate purposes, in contravention of subsection 5(3)