Evidence of meeting #76 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was casl.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michael Fekete  Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, As an Individual
Adam Kardash  Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual
Michael Geist  Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
David Messer  Vice-President, Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada
Deborah Evans  Associate Chief Privacy Officer, Rogers Communications Inc.

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

You also touched on something else. You mentioned online advertising like Facebook. If I'm on Facebook, I get ads coming up. I didn't understand what your point was there.

12:05 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

CASL applies to the sending of commercial electronic messages to electronic addresses. The definition of electronic addresses expressly contemplates email accounts and instant messaging accounts and telephone accounts.

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

If I go on Facebook, it knows where I've been and what I'm up to, and it messages me. It displays—

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

It's a display, yes; it's not sent. It's completely outside the ambit of the legislation.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

It's not within the legislation.

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

There were comments unfortunately made by the CRTC and in the RIAS statement by what was then Industry Canada about the potential application to IP addresses, which is not, in our view, there, and you cannot have this legislative scheme apply.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

It doesn't apply, but you're concerned that we might try to apply it?

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

We need scope of clarity.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

That's on the address.

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

It was a similar point made—

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Theoretically, right now, we could include the IP address as an email address. Is that my personal address?

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

That would be devastatingly bad, yes.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

It's unclear whether that's being done right now.

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

Well, it wasn't unclear until statements were made by the CRTC and in the RIAS about the potential concept of electronic addresses applying to IP addresses. That's totally outside the scope of this.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

It was just something that came up like electronic addresses applying to IP addresses, but it's not actually in the legislation right now.

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

And you're saying we can't go in that direction.

12:10 p.m.

Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, As an Individual

Adam Kardash

That's right, 100% correct.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Understood.

We heard about implied consent, and, Mr. Messer, you also touched on that. A lot of software within the Internet of things, but there's no way for me to go in and say I consent. Things are happening.

If we were to tackle what Mr. Fekete is suggesting vis-à-vis programs, would that take away the concern you have with regard to implied consent, in terms of updating, and the Internet of things, and all of those kinds of things that have to happen? There's nowhere I get a flashing light that says, “Hey, do you agree to do something?”

12:10 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada

David Messer

Yes. On a number of Internet of things-types of devices, implied consent is really the only way.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

If we were to write the computer programming legislation specifically tackling malware and spyware, would we still need to write something about implied consent, or would that deal with the issue?

October 17th, 2017 / 12:10 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada

David Messer

Implied consent as a principle would be good to put in the legislation more generally, as it is in PIPEDA, because having it will make the legislation more flexible and more nimble. The CRTC will be able to issue guidance, and companies will be able to ask questions.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Even if we narrow the electronic messaging and the computer, we should still consider implied consent, because we don't know what's coming down the pipe. There might be areas in which we need to have implied consent so that things can go along.

12:10 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada

David Messer

Exactly. It will provide more flexibility. It will make it easier for companies to ask questions, and to learn from each other.

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy

Thank you very much.

Mr. Jeneroux, go ahead for five minutes.