Websites and privacy policies – a question from a reader
We recently received this question in our comments, and we thought the answer deserved its own post:
“I’d like more information about how corporations or governments share personal information within their organizations. For example, if I fill out a form to enter a contest on Muchmusic.com, will they share my personal info with other parts of CTVGlobemedia, like TSN.com?”
Corporations and government have a responsibility to tell you how they are collecting and using your personal information. Websites that collect information (for a contest, as an example) should have a link to a privacy policy or statement that spells out how your information is being collected and used. On Muchmusic.com’s site, for example, their Privacy Statement states:
“Personal Information is only used by us for the purposes stated at the time of collection or as otherwise set out in this section.
If you have participated in an online activity, your personal information will only be used for the purposes of that online activity, unless you otherwise provide us with your consent. We may ask for your permission to use your personal information for other purposes, for example, to send you an email newsletter or for marketing purposes. We will only use this information for these purposes if you have provided us with consent by “opting-in” on the online form.”
Links to privacy policies or statements are usually at the bottom of the website – always check for them on your favourite sites.