OT - cibc, faxes, and privacy

[sunward-hobbies]

Maybe OT but need to ask.

With the recent stupidity by CIBC and the faxing of confidential info, I was wondering about the penalties about revealing private info.

I have a privacy policy on my web site but non on ebay's me page.

Is it required? What are the penalties if info is leaked with or without a privacy policy?

Angelo

PS - cibc had the gall to blame the receiver of the faxes for the mixup by saying he didn't help enough in solving the problem.
from bna highlights:
http://cibcdayone.notlong.com/
http://cibcdaytwo.notlong.com/

[shoplineca]

What information would you possess that could be deemed confidential related to your eBay business that would concern you?

You are also getting into something deeper than can be properly answered here because you sell internationally so what privacy laws are you concerned with that might (a) govern your business and (b) have an effect on your business.

For the most part, your business is in Canada and its operation is subject to the rules of this country as it pertains to Canadians. Those laws do not necessarily stretch beyond our borders into the US with respect to your US clients or other countries' citizens.

In other words, it would be rare for someone to try to impose the laws of their country on how you conducted your business in Canada with respect to maintaining the privacy of the information they gave you.

The info the CIBC has on clients and released in error clearly violates our laws as it pertains to Canadians.

The US farmer who rec'd the faxes contacted the CIBC several times but they never took corrective and immediate steps to stop the faxing of confidential client documents to the point that the farme lost business as his fax machine and telephone line was tied up for days at a time receiving all these documents.

The bottom line towards confidentiality is this: Your business is NOT charged with receiving and maintaining confidential information. It is not recognized as an institution or part of an industry that would have any responsibility to collect and safeguard confidential information. Therefore, dont worry about it!

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

Malcolm, I don't think he was a farmer, but rather he was in the promotion business (or something like that) and blamed his fax line for being contiunally tied up for the failure of his business.

He is now a scrap dealer.

It would be interesting to know if he still possesses the same fax number from his earlier business to the scrap business. If not, how could he still be receiving phantom faxes? The odds of the bank automatically following him from one fax number to another would seem rather strange wouldn't it?

Jeff

[sunward-hobbies]

Jeff:
had 2 businesses. The promotion one went under.

Still was receiving faxes. Even one 10 days ago. Seems CIBC workers were pushing too many 7's when dialing the number.

Malcolm:
I am not worried about international laws per say. More the requirements and the implications. Who is covered by the new privacy law and should we as sellers do any thing? Should we, for example, have a privacy policy on the me page or elsewhere?

[shoplineca]

Jeff
You are right. Usually these junk yard guys start out as farmers and find more cash in taking in broken down cars to keep on their properties than in farming. I had heard om the radio that he had several businesses including a farm and that one of the businesses collapsed due to the onslaught of faxes he was receiving.

Regardless, the CIBC has to be nuts to try to pin responsibility on him for receiving these faxes and suggesting that he didnt cooperate with them to stop it.

I know that I became victim to a fax service that would send me 25+ pages of unsolicited ads every week, jamming up my machine, my phone line and costing me paper and ink (alot for a small business).

I went through Bell Canada and filed a complaint and it stopped immediately. Any further faxes received and the company would be charged and could face loosing their telephone line.

Malcolm