Privacy implications of cloud computing under study

Like the Rolling Stones, Canada's largest technology association believes that lawmakers should get off the cloud.

In a position paper on cloud computing released in early April, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) expressed its view that “existing Canadian privacy law is sufficiently sensible, flexible and robust to properly manage personal privacy in the cloud.”

All the legislative remedies are already in place, said CATA president and CEO John Reid. “That's not to say that we don't need to continually review the vehicles that we have to enforce the law, but our privacy laws are based on best practices and flexible principles.”

In February, Canada's privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, announced public consultations to study the privacy implications of cloud computing. Calling it “the business model of the future,” Reid says that organizations that use cloud computing services should be responsible for ensuring their own privacy and that no special legislation is required.

“The original custodian needs to make informed choices,” CATA's paper concludes. “This should be a sensible, risk-based approach.”