Alberta Awards First Damages For Public Disclosure Of Private Facts

Until recently, a person's ability to sue for privacy concerns in Canada has been limited to traditional torts such as defamation, negligent/intentional infliction of mental distress, breach of confidence or harassment. This has not been satisfactory since the traditional torts have developed without reference to the abundance of modern privacy concerns in the age of the internet and social media. The elements of these torts and the available remedies do not address modern privacy concerns very well. While privacy torts traditionally have been personal, they can potentially be applied to work environments, and employers could face risks should their employees commit wrongful acts.