Senate committee rejects changes to digital privacy bill

A Senate committee has rejected changes to the government’s proposed digital privacy bill aimed at discouraging “copyright trolls” from pursuing Canadians.The amendment died on a tie vote, which means Senate Liberals who want to change the bill must make their case at third reading in the Senate, where the Conservatives hold a majority. Canada’s private sector privacy law currently allows companies to disclosure customers’ personal information only to designated “investigative bodies,” which include some private companies. But Bill S-4 would repeal the existing wording and allow the secret sharing of customer information with companies investigating someone who may have, is currently, or could in the future break the law, without the consent of the customers themselves and without the need for judicial oversight.