Ontario and B.C. privacy commissioners issue joint statement on the privacy and safety balance

The Ontario and British Columbia Privacy Commissioners issued a joint statement today in which they commit to issuing a joint publication aimed at clarifying the role that privacy laws play in managing health and safety risks. Mr. Loukidelis says, “Individual cases can be fuzzy, but if someone uses common sense and in good faith discloses information, my office is not going to come down on them.” The focus of this positive initiative seems broader than campus safety, but the statement does mention Virginia Tech and the recent suicide at Carleton University. For my coverage of this issue, see here.