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Manitoba Ombudsman marks Data Privacy Day, January 28, 2015

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Jan 28, 2015

Data Privacy Day, celebrated every January 28, gives us the opportunity to remind everyone that our personal information is valuable and must be treated with care. Data Privacy Day also highlights the impact that technology is having on our privacy rights and underlines the importance of valuing and protecting our personal information.

“We all keep personal information, unique to ourselves, in our wallets, smartphones, and in online applications that we use regularly, and we share that information more than ever before. We need to think about how we handle our information so that we don’t leave ourselves open to privacy breaches,” said Acting Manitoba Ombudsman Mel Holley. “We also want to remind businesses and public organizations that they need to be open about how they collect, use and share our personal information. We have responsibilities as individuals to protect our information, and businesses and public organizations have responsibilities to manage our information in accordance with provincial and federal privacy laws. Protecting our personal information is a joint effort.”

To help protect the personal information contained on credit and debit cards (with radio frequency identification chips) from electronic pick-pockets, Manitoba Ombudsman has "ID shields" available upon request. ID shields are made of metallized, tear-resistant and water-resistant paper. Using the card sleeve is an easy way to block unauthorized access to the information contained on your card’s RFID chip.

To help Manitobans understand their privacy rights, we have a number of guides and brochures available in print and online, and links to identity theft resources. To assist Manitoba public bodies/trustees who collect personal information understand their obligations under The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA), we have a series of FIPPA and PHIA practice notes. Please visit www.ombudsman.mb.ca to access these resources. We also have a number of short videos available on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/manitobaombudsman, including a “Data Privacy Day” video produced in 2014 with five tips for protecting personal information.

For more information on Data Privacy Day, please visit the official website at www.staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day.