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ARTICLE · 13 JANUARY 2015

Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Investigates Online Behavioural Advertising

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Canada’s privacy commissioner has initiated a review of websites viewed by Canadians to ensure compliance with its guidance on the use of online behavioural advertising.

CanadaPrivacy
Wendy Wagner
Wendy Wagner
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Canada's privacy commissioner has initiated a review of websites viewed by Canadians to ensure compliance with its guidance on the use of online behavioural advertising (see: https://www.priv.gc.ca/information/guide/2012/bg_ba_1206_e.asp).

The privacy commissioner defines OBA to include the tracking and targeting of individuals' web activities, across sites and over time, in order to serve advertising that is tailored to those individuals' inferred interests. Such tracking is normally achieved using technologies such as cookies, web beacons and device data.

The privacy commissioner's guidance (see above link) indicates that the use of OBA is permissible if:

  • Individuals are made aware of the purposes for the tracking practices in a clear and understandable way that is obvious and not buried within a privacy policy. Various communication methods such as online banners, layered approaches and interactive tools may be considered

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