Access My Info Tool Lets Telecom Subscribers Know If Theyve Been Spied On | HuffPo


Canadians concerned about their online privacy have a new way to find out whether their telecom provider is collecting information about them — and sharing it with third parties like government entities.

The new tool, developed by some of the countrys top privacy experts, makes it easier for Canadians to force their provider to disclose their practices.

“What were trying to do as researchers is identify what kind of data telecommunications companies in Canada collect, obtain, and process, and disclose to third parties,” said Dr. Christopher Parsons, a fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs Citizen Lab.

“But we also wanted to make it easier for Canadians individually to engage in the same sort of action.”

Known as “Access My Info,” the web tool helps create a formal letter which, under Canadian privacy law, telecom companies are legally obliged to respond to within 30 days, the website offering the tool says.

Canadians requesting the information fill out a few basic details about themselves and their telecom provider, and can do so confidentially, the website says.

Read More: Access My Info Tool Lets Telecom Subscribers Know If Theyve Been Spied On | HuffPo