I understand the BC privacy commissioner is reviewing BC Hydro’s privacy protection (or lack thereof) regarding the information the smart meters will be collecting.(Metro, 7/29/11). I’m sure she will find that everything is just fine. That seems to be the privacy commissioner’s job.
Because I try to protect my privacy rights, I have filed a few privacy complaints with both the provincial and federal privacy commissioner’s office. Even when I have been absolutely right – NOTHING CHANGES. Even when the privacy commissioner quotes a specific act or law that has been violated/broken – NOTHING CHANGES. Even when the privacy commissioner’s office recommends that the organization/company make changes – NOTHING CHANGES.
So, I consider the privacy commissioner essentially useless to normal people. However, it seems that they are an invaluable asset to the government and organizations/companies. When a person complains to a ministry or other organization/company, that ministry or other organization/company just tells that person that if they are not happy then that person can take the matter to the privacy commissioner, knowing full well NOTHING WILL CHANGE. It’s the equivalent of telling someone to file their complaint in file 13 (for those of you not familiar with the term, that’s the garbage can where things are dumped, never to be seen again). It seems to be a very comfortable diversionary tactic.
In fact, I strongly suspect that the government set up the privacy commissioner’s office just for this purpose.
So sad, I had such hopes for it. Instead, it seems to be just another government organization wasting taxpayer money.