A majority of Canadians say they have less privacy in their lives than they did 10 years ago. This is largely due to the development of technology that has changed the way we do everyday things. Data can now be collected and stored on virtually every transaction that we make in the marketplace.
Electronic cards are more and more common, making it possible for our movements to be tracked.
Our wallets are bulging with magnetic-striped cards of all kinds, for financial transactions or to accumulate air miles or customer loyalty points. Through advances in computers and telecommunications, personal information can now be quickly and inexpensively collected, processed and transmitted. As consumers and citizens we need to know that we have some control over our personal information, and we want to be assured that it enjoys a basic level of protection. We need to be confident that the companies we do business with are following some basic privacy protection rules. What Canadians Think of Privacy Protection Eighty percent of Canadians think personal data should be kept strictly confidential.