A research study commissioned by Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has validated her concerns that the quantity of data held by Canadian political parties--and the way they use that data--amount to a "serious information and privacy issue." The Canadian Press reports that the study's authors concluded, "For the most part, individuals have no legal rights to learn what information is contained therein, to access and correct those data, to remove themselves from the systems or to restrict the collection, use and disclosure of their personal data." Stoddart has no jurisdiction to enforce privacy rules on political parties, meaning public pressure will be integral to changing practices, the report states.
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