The AI section of Canada's privacy bill (Bill C-27) allegedly fails to protect people's freedom and rights.
A group of leading experts, academics, and civil society organizations said this in their open letter sent to Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.
Experts Claim Canada Privacy Bill's AI Section Fails to Protect People
The Canadian Liberals introduced Bill C-27 in 2022 to help residents have more control over their sensitive information. This legislation was created to protect Canadians' data, which is commonly used by commercial entities. The bill aims to penalize non-compliant organizations and companies and offer new rules to regulate the use of AI.
However, many experts claim that the AI part of the bill fails to protect the freedom and rights of individuals from the risks posed by artificial intelligence, as reported by Global News CA.
"We, the undersigned organizations and experts, are writing to express our serious concerns regarding the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA), set out in Part 3 of Bill C-27," they explained in their official open letter, released on Sept. 25.
They explained that the current AIDA is an inadequate piece of the privacy bill and argued that ISED (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) should not be the sole or primary drafter of the legislation. The bill focuses more on broad human rights, labor, and cultural impacts.
Changes They Want in Canada's Privacy Bill
The open letter, which 19 organizations and 26 individual experts signed, suggested that AIDA be removed from Bill C-27 before it becomes law. Involved people and organizations said that they expect significant resistance from the government. However, officials need to follow their suggestions since the AI section of the bill is inadequate for committee consideration.
They added that removing AIDA will also greatly benefit the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) because it will give them more time to focus on other parts of the bill focusing on privacy rights concerns.
Another thing they pointed out is that AI regulatory efforts can still be completed on the timeline that ISED is currently working towards, which is 2025. The open letter sent to Francois-Philippe Champagne is the latest effort of academics, experts, and civil rights organizations to enhance Bill C-27.
Here are some of the organizations and individual experts who signed it:
Organizations
- BC Civil Liberties Association
- International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
- Rideau Institute on International Affairs
- Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)
- Amnesty International Canadian Section (English speaking)
Individual Experts
- Jonathan Roberge, INRS
- Blair Attard-Frost, AI Policy Researcher, Lecturer, & Advisor
- Dr. Blayne Haggart, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brock University
- Brenda McPhail, Ph.D., Acting Executive Director, Public Policy in Digital Society Program, McMaster University
- Teresa Scassa, University of Ottawa
