Learn more about privacy at airports and border crossings by referring to the new featured topic, and have a safe journey!
photo by 12th St David
There’s a common expression that says, “It’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey.” Well, if you’re like me, when I have to travel—especially with moody teenagers—I get anxious just thinking about all of the hoops I have to jump through before I arrive at my destination. At airports, border crossings and sea ports, there are security screenings everywhere.
Security measures are presented as a trade-off for safer skies for travellers. But that doesn’t mean you have to check your privacy rights with your luggage.
It is important to know that as a Canadian traveller, your privacy rights kick in from the moment you book a flight—online or through a travel agency—and continue on through the airport terminal and into the pre-boarding area.
However, the measures used to ensure your safety make you wonder: where do your privacy rights begin and end? To help you answer that question, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) just posted a new topic page entitled Privacy Rights at Airports and Border Crossings. It contains explanations of the law, describes the impact of security measures on your personal information and privacy rights, and lets you know where you can turn to if you feel your rights have been violated.
The topic page presents all of the OPC’s materials related to airports and border crossings in one place: fact sheets, reports, publications, Parliamentary appearances and audits to give you an overview from a privacy perspective of key security initiatives that have been implemented over the last 10 years.
Want to learn more? Click here to consult the new page.