Online Comment Form Submission No. 1

Anonymous

August 2016

Note: This submission was contributed by the author(s) to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s Consultation on Online Reputation.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

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Every day more and more Canadians are affected in a very negative way by online defamation (e.g., shamming sites, gossip sites). Often this is from sites in the United States. There is very little Canadians can do, as there is no government protection, such as the right to be forgotten.

See, for example, the following news articles:

• YouTube Video: David Guindon TheDirty.com - Reputation.ca on CBC Ottawa
• CBC News: Cheating, STIs and ‘Dirty’ lies: the fight against a U.S. gossip giant
• CBC News: The Dirty on truth, freedom of speech and online shaming
• CBC News: Woman appalled how U.S. site spread ‘dirt’ about her
• Metro News: Extreme cyberstalker makes Vancouver teacher’s life a nightmare

And there’s lots more!

I hope OPC will advocate for the protection of Canadians from anonymous online defamation, often on sites outside Canada, through the Right to be Forgotten, or another effective avenue.

More lives are being destroyed EVERY DAY.

Canada appears to be way behind the European Union, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, etc. in protecting its citizens. It’s time to move faster and with greater determination.

Most young Canadians cannot afford legal options (and they should not have to pay for this as they are the victims… Why should the victims have to pay?). This is impacting people’s mental health and job prospects. We need concrete action.