Special Topics in Laws Governing Data Use and Data Disclosure

This course examines Canadian and international laws that regulate the use and disclosure of data, particularly personal information, by exploring how these laws balance privacy with the public interest. This course explores the following questions: (1) How do criminal laws, national security laws, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms regulate the use of data and compelled disclosure of data by governmental agencies and private enterprises? (2) How do public sector privacy laws balance privacy rights and the public interest? (3) How have privacy and cybersecurity laws evolved to accommodate commercial interests in outsourcing, cloud services, and other business models? (4) How are consumer protection and competition/anti-trust laws evolving to protect consumers from unfair practices, price discrimination, and anti-competitive data hoarding? Students have the opportunity to engage in independent research on a particular policy issue and prepare a research paper on their chosen topic.