Canadian privacy & access decisions

Multiple complainants alleged that Globe24h.com collected, used, and disclosed their personal information without consent by republishing Canadian court and tribunal decisions and charging for removal. The OPC had previously investigated similar complaints against Globe24h.com and found them to be well-founded. Despite this, additional complaints continued to be received. The OPC decided to discontinue these new complaints under paragraph 12.2(1)(e) of PIPEDA, as the matter had already been the subject of a Commissioner's report. The OPC noted its continued interest in Globe24h.com's compliance and later participated in a Federal Court proceeding initiated by one of the original complainants. The Federal Court ultimately confirmed the OPC's findings and ordered Globe24h.com to remove the information and cease contravening PIPEDA, leading to the website's closure.

• Whether Globe24h.com collected, used, and disclosed personal information without consent
• Whether the Commissioner should discontinue investigation of additional complaints when the matter has already been reported on
• Whether the practices of Globe24h.com contravened PIPEDA

The complaint alleged that the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) contravened the disclosure provisions of the Privacy Act when a human resources employee disclosed the complainant's medical information to individuals involved in a Public Service Staffing Tribunal (PSST) hearing. The PSST had specifically ordered the PBC to remove medical information from the material provided. The PBC acknowledged the disclosure, apologized to the complainant, and ensured the recipients disposed of the information. The OPC found that the complainant's medical information was disclosed without consent and not under any permitted disclosure provision of subsection 8(2) of the Act. Therefore, the OPC concluded that the complaint was well-founded.

• Whether the complainant's medical information constitutes personal information under s.3 of the Privacy Act
• Whether the disclosure of the complainant's medical information by the PBC contravened s.8(1) of the Privacy Act
• Whether the disclosure was in accordance with any of the permitted categories under s.8(2) of the Privacy Act