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Policy Interventions

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Youth privacy continues to be digital policy issue, and the eQuality team is dedicated to the contributing to directly impacting policy-creation through the development and dissemination of new knowledge that is responsive to policy and community needs. We extend our research outcomes beyond the traditional academic spheres such as journal articles and books to encompass deliverables such as educational and policy outreach materials.

Working closely with external project partners, we will also inform Federal, Provincial, and Territorial policy through our policy and community partners, who are looking for innovative ways to advance policy beyond the “zero-tolerance” approach, and to actively encourage and promote healthy online environments and respect for diversity and equality online.

Privacy and Equality Regulation

  • We’ve appeared before a number of policymakers, including the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Status of Women, Privacy and Ethics, the Global Privacy Enforcement Network and Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial Information and Privacy Commissioners. Our appearances include:
    • Shade, L. Participation in Data Privacy Jam, BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, UOttawa, March 5-6, 2020.
    • Bailey, J. (2018, October). Connecting the privacy and eQuality dots: experiences of young Canadians. Presented to he Office of the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.
    • Steeves, V. (2018, May). Intervenor before the Senate of Canada’s Open Caucus on Protection of Private Information.
    • Steeves, V., & Bailey, J. (2017, October). Expert Witnesses before Joint Federal/Provincial/Territorial Meeting of Canada’s Privacy and Information Commissioners regarding children’s privacy, Iqaluit.
    • Bailey, J. (2017, September). Intervenor before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on reform of the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act.
    • Steeves, V. (2017, February). Intervenor before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on reform of the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act.
    • Steeves, V. (2015, December). Participant, Consultation on the role of consent under the Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
    • Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Trends and Recommendations.
    • Online Reputation, Privacy and Young People: Lessons from Canadian Research
    • Big Data, Social Norms and Discrimination: Lessons from The eGirls Project

Surveillance in the Networked Classroom

  • The eQuality Project co-hosted “Privacy Implications in the Networked Classroom” with the Alberta Teacher’s Association, Big Data Surveillance Project, and, the Office of the Information and and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. The eQuality Project also co-hosted a workshop at the BringIT2017 Conference in Niagara Falls. This daylong workshop aimed to engage education stakeholders and to generate discussion concerning the privacy challenges posed by networked classroom technologies, educational software, and education law and policy designed to protect students from tech-facilitated violence. You can watch the workshop here.
  • In addition to our work on “Privacy in the Networked Classroom,” our research team have made several appearances internationally, including:
    • Steeves, V., & Bailey, J. (2017, April 4). Global Privacy Enforcement Network – Pacific Division (presented research findings to data protection officers from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, New South Wales, Hong Kong, Korean, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, and the United States regarding surveillance in schools).
    • Steeves, V. (2015, April). Global Privacy Enforcement Network, 2015 Sweep on Children’s Privacy (presented research findings to data protection officers from the United States (FTC and FCC), Mexico, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Catalonia, United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Korea, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, and Estonia, to inform regulatory responses to risks to children’s online privacy.

Tech-Facilitated Violence

  • Read our letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
  • We’ve participated in a series of roundtables held by Status of Women Canada to inform policy on gendered forms of violence and harassment in networked spaces, as well as intervened before House of Commons Standing Committees focused on prevention of technologically facilitated violence against women and girls. Our appearances are as follows:
    • Bailey, J. (2018, April). Co-counsel for the Intervenor Canadian Internet and Public Policy Interest Clinic in the Supreme Court of Canada on the appeal of R v Jarvis (where a teacher was charged with voyeurism after surreptitiously using technology to capture photos of students’ breasts).
    • Bailey, J. (2018, 12 April). Technologically facilitated violence against women and girls, Oral Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Canada Country Visit.
    • Bailey, J. (2016, December 5). Intervenor before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women re: violence against girls and young women in Canada.
    • Steeves, V. (2016, September 21). Intervenor before House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women, regarding violence and girls and young women in Canada.
    • Bailey, J. (2016, July 18). Invited consultation at a roundtable on tech-facilitated violence and youth convened by the Minister of the Status of Women, Toronto Ontario.
    • Bailey, J. (2016, June 16). Intervenor before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women re: violence against girls and young women in Canada.
    • Bailey, J., & Steeves, V. (2015, October 9). Presentation on Canadian research and legal approaches to cyberbullying and online hate speech during Invited Consultation with the Korean Human Rights Commission, Ottawa, Canada.
    • Bailey, J. & Steeves, V. (2015, August 9). Organized (upon request) one-day meeting with National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the Korean Ministry of Justice and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea and eQuality researchers Steeves, Bailey and Shade and eQuality partners MediaSmarts, OCTEVAW and CIPPIC to explore innovative legal and educational approaches to better help young Koreans navigate online commercialism and harassment.