Protecting Your Privacy, an Expert Guide

Most Canadians would be shocked at the number of ways their online presence can be exploited, even to commit crimes, say the authors of a new book on how people can protect their privacy.

David McKie and Jim Bronskill, reporters at the CBC and Canadian Press respectively, have released their latest joint effort Your Right To Privacy: Minimize Your Digital Footprint, which tells readers how to better protect their privacy in an increasingly interconnected world.

The two also co-authored the 2014 book Your Right to Know: How to Use the Law to Get Government Secrets, which serves as a how-to guide for citizens navigating access to information legislation.

But now the pair wants to help the masses learn their rights and avoid becoming victims of online privacy intrusions.

"We live in a very confessional era where it's totally appropriate to share probably way too much about yourself and others," McKie said. "Really it was a question of reminding people to be careful... but then taking practical steps."

Drawing on expert advice, the book explains how people can protect themselves from a variety of privacy threats.

One example is what steps people can take if their employer uses their personal information for a purpose not agreed to previously, and what information can be requested.

But, the duo cautions, an intimate profile of a person isn't needed for their information to be used for criminal activity.

Those with nefarious intentions can take bits and pieces of seemingly harmless information about someone and exploit it, they said, adding that many people don't realize how easily the information can be gathered.

Simply by posting vacation photos online, Bronskill said, someone can figure out you're away for an extended period of time before looking up your address to rob your home.

It's through such operations that connect the dots online that people can become victims.

Caution in your local grocery store

The book also touches on government spying through legislation such as Bill C-51.

The controversial piece of legislation was passed in 2015, and opponents insist it gives the government too much power to snoop on Canadians, citing national security concerns. The book touches on that tension.

"There is a very strong and growing sense that government through spy agencies like the NSA and CSEC are gathering information on people," Bronskill said. "It's such a huge subject, we could have written a whole book about that."

But, he said, the fastest growing threat to privacy is coming from the private sector, such as overseas corporations and local grocery stores.

Such enterprises grab personal information so they can tailor their advertising or business to a customer's specific desires or needs.

Some may not have a problem with initiatives like loyalty cards, but Bronskill said people should understand they are giving up some of their privacy when signing on to them.

McKie said in researching the book he was enlightened to learn just how far the "Internet of things" goes these days, as everything from our banking to our home temperature can be controlled online.

Such advancements open people up to more risk of online predation.

"I'm more cognizant of having to encrypt things," McKie said. "I certainly would never even dream now of doing any banking using wi-fi, that's for sure."