The Toronto Sun reported this morning
that the privacy of 4,500 consumers of recreational cannabis in
Ontario has been compromised. The names and addresses of
individuals purchasing cannabis through the Ontario Cannabis Store
(OCS) website, and the names of the individuals who signed for the
package delivery, was accessed by an unidentified individual
through the Canada Post online tracking tool in late October or
early November.
The OCS has notified the impacted consumers and has reported the
breach to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. Canada Post has announced that it has fixed the
loophole and further unauthorized access has been prevented. During
the ramp up to legalization and over the past few weeks, the OCS
has consistently prioritized the privacy of its consumers. For
example, its privacy policy reveals a focus on shipping,
stating that "when we ship orders, we deliver in discreet,
plain packaging, so the nature of your purchase is not
revealed."
