Ann Cavoukian
Encyclopedia
Ann Cavoukian is the current Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Canadian province of Ontario
.
in 1952 to ethnic Armenia
n parents Artin and Lucie Cavoukian, Cavoukian immigrated to Toronto with her family in 1958. She is the sister of the well-known Canadian children's entertainer Raffi
and Onnig Cavoukian
(commonly called "Cavouk"), a well-known photographer.
She took a B.A. at York University
in Toronto and then received an MA
and Ph.D
in psychology
from the University of Toronto
, specializing in criminology
and law.
In the 1980s, she headed the Research Services Branch for the provincial Attorney General. Joining the Ontario provincial Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner in 1987, Cavoukian served as its first Director of Compliance followed by her appointment as Assistant Commissioner in 1990.
(TTC) announced plans to expand its video surveillance program which resulted in a formal complaint to Commissioner Cavoukian from Privacy International
, a U.K.-based organization, citing concerns that the TTC’s proposed expansion was a violation of privacy laws. In response to this complaint, Cavoukian launched an investigation where she ruled that the TTC’s expansion of its video surveillance system did not contravene any applicable privacy laws. As part of her investigation she also made 13 recommendations to the TTC, which have all been implemented. As part of her investigation, she also encouraged the TTC to conduct a pilot project to test the use of a privacy-enhancing video surveillance technology, developed by researchers at the University of Toronto
.
Bill 183, Adoption Information Disclosure Act
, stating that the proposed law needed an amendment giving birth parents and adoptees from adoptions that occurred prior to the passing of this retroactive law the right, if desired, to file a disclosure veto to prevent the opening of their sealed files.
The Adoption Information Disclosure Act received Royal Assent
on November 3, 2005, without Commissioner Cavoukian’s proposed disclosure veto.
On September 19, 2007, Justice Belobaba, of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
ruled the Adoption Information Disclosure Act as unconstitutional – it breached section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
and thus, the sections of the Act relating to access to birth registration information are invalid.
On November 14, 2007, the government of Ontario
introduced new adoption legislation that includes both a disclosure veto for adoptees and birth parents in adoptions that have already taken place and also promotes openness for adoptions where a disclosure veto is not registered and for all future adoptions. The Access to Adoption Records Act
includes both a disclosure veto for adoptees and birth parents in adoptions that have already taken place.
The IPC is the oversight agency for the new law. As of November 1, 2004 patients who are denied access to their own personal health records, or who believe that their personal health information was collected, used or disclosed contrary to the new legislation, can complain to the IPC.
As of December, 2010, Commissioner Cavoukian has issued ten Health Orders under PHIPA.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Early life and career
Born in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in 1952 to ethnic Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n parents Artin and Lucie Cavoukian, Cavoukian immigrated to Toronto with her family in 1958. She is the sister of the well-known Canadian children's entertainer Raffi
Raffi (musician)
Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...
and Onnig Cavoukian
Onnig Cavoukian
Onnig J. Cavoukian, known professionally as Cavouk, is a well-known Canadian photographer.- Early life and career :Born in Cairo in 1945 to ethnic Armenian parents Artin and Lucie Cavoukian, Onnig Cavoukian emigrated with his family from Cairo to Canada in 1958...
(commonly called "Cavouk"), a well-known photographer.
She took a B.A. at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto and then received an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, specializing in criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and law.
In the 1980s, she headed the Research Services Branch for the provincial Attorney General. Joining the Ontario provincial Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner in 1987, Cavoukian served as its first Director of Compliance followed by her appointment as Assistant Commissioner in 1990.
Tenure as Privacy Commissioner
Initially appointed Commissioner in 1997, Cavoukian is the first Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario to be re-appointed for a third term (until 2014). Serving as an officer of the provincial legislature, the Commissioner is independent of the government of the day.Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) surveillance cameras
In November, 2007, the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
(TTC) announced plans to expand its video surveillance program which resulted in a formal complaint to Commissioner Cavoukian from Privacy International
Privacy International
Privacy International is a UK-based non-profit organisation formed in 1990, "as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations." PI has organised campaigns and initiatives in more than fifty countries and is based in London, UK.-Formation, background and...
, a U.K.-based organization, citing concerns that the TTC’s proposed expansion was a violation of privacy laws. In response to this complaint, Cavoukian launched an investigation where she ruled that the TTC’s expansion of its video surveillance system did not contravene any applicable privacy laws. As part of her investigation she also made 13 recommendations to the TTC, which have all been implemented. As part of her investigation, she also encouraged the TTC to conduct a pilot project to test the use of a privacy-enhancing video surveillance technology, developed by researchers at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
Adoption disclosure
On March 29, 2005, Commissioner Cavoukian spoke out against the adoption disclosureAdoption disclosure
Adoption disclosure refers to the official release of information relating to the legal adoption of a child. Throughout much of the 20th century, many Western countries had legislation intended to prevent adoptees and adoptive families from knowing the identities of birth parents and vice-versa...
Bill 183, Adoption Information Disclosure Act
Adoption Information Disclosure Act
The Adoption Information Disclosure Act, formally An Act respecting the disclosure of information and records to adopted persons and birth parents, also known as Bill 183, is an Ontario law regarding the disclosure of information between parties involved in adoptions.Passed by the Legislative...
, stating that the proposed law needed an amendment giving birth parents and adoptees from adoptions that occurred prior to the passing of this retroactive law the right, if desired, to file a disclosure veto to prevent the opening of their sealed files.
The Adoption Information Disclosure Act received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on November 3, 2005, without Commissioner Cavoukian’s proposed disclosure veto.
On September 19, 2007, Justice Belobaba, of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Ontario Superior Court of Justice
The Superior Court of Justice is the superior court of general jurisdiction for the Province of Ontario, Canada. It is the successor to the former Ontario Court of Justice , and was created on April 19, 1999...
ruled the Adoption Information Disclosure Act as unconstitutional – it breached section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982...
and thus, the sections of the Act relating to access to birth registration information are invalid.
On November 14, 2007, the government of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
introduced new adoption legislation that includes both a disclosure veto for adoptees and birth parents in adoptions that have already taken place and also promotes openness for adoptions where a disclosure veto is not registered and for all future adoptions. The Access to Adoption Records Act
Access to Adoption Records Act
The Access to Adoption Records Act , is an Ontario law passed in 2008 regarding the disclosure of information between parties involved in adoptions. It is the successor to the 2005 Adoption Information Disclosure Act, parts of which were struck down in 2007 in a ruling by Judge Edward Belobaba of...
includes both a disclosure veto for adoptees and birth parents in adoptions that have already taken place.
Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
On November 1, 2004, PHIPA took effect granting the province of Ontario its first health information privacy legislation where it will govern the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information. Cavoukian had been an advocate of this legislation since the IPC was first formed in 1987.The IPC is the oversight agency for the new law. As of November 1, 2004 patients who are denied access to their own personal health records, or who believe that their personal health information was collected, used or disclosed contrary to the new legislation, can complain to the IPC.
As of December, 2010, Commissioner Cavoukian has issued ten Health Orders under PHIPA.
Works
Cavoukian published two books on privacy with co-authors:- Tyler HamiltonTyler Hamilton (reporter)Tyler Jay Hamilton is a Canadian author, blogger and business columnist with the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily-circulation newspaper. He writes a weekly column for the paper called Clean Break that focuses on trends and developments in the clean technology and renewable energy markets...
: The Privacy Payoff: How Successful Businesses Build Customer Trust, 2002. - Don TapscottDon TapscottDon Tapscott is a Canadian business executive, author, consultant and speaker, specializing in business strategy, organizational transformation and the role of technology in business and society. Tapscott is chairman of business strategy think tank New Paradigm , which he founded in 1993...
: Who Knows: Safeguarding Your Privacy in a Networked World, 1997.
Awards
- 2011 - Top 25 Women of Influence (Women of Influence Inc.)
- 2011 – Information Access and Protection of Privacy Award (University of Alberta)
- 2011 – Privacy Professional of the Year (SC Congress)
- 2011 – Kristian Beckman Award (IFIP)
- 2008 – Privacy Hero and Leadership Award (WiredSafety)
- 2007 – Top 100 most powerful women in Canada (Women’s Executive Network)
- 2007 – Dr. Barbara Wand Award (Ontario Psychological Association)
- 2006 – Outstanding contribution to the protection of privacy rights in Ontario (Ontario Bar Association)
- 2006 – IABC All-Star speaker (International Association of Business Communicators)
- 2005 – Privacy Innovation Award (International Association of Privacy Professionals)
- 2003 – Privacy Manager of the Year (Privacy Manager Magazine)
Memberships and affiliations
- Chair, IPSI Advisory Board
- International Biometric Advisory Council
- IBM Privacy Management Council
- European Biometrics Forum
- Future of Privacy Forum
- RIM Council
- Accuvant Advisory Board
- Distinguished Fellow of the Ponemon Institute
- Women of Influence