Study says DRM counters Canadian privacy laws
This week the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) released a report which investigated DRM used in 16 different products and services. The
conclusion was that many DRM technologies fail to comply with basic
requirements of Canadian privacy law.
The study, published by the University of Ottawa’s Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), indicated that DRM is being used to collect, use and disclose consumers’ personal information for secondary purposes, without giving the user adequate notice or the opportunity to opt-out of collection.
The study, published by the University of Ottawa’s Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), indicated that DRM is being used to collect, use and disclose consumers’ personal information for secondary purposes, without giving the user adequate notice or the opportunity to opt-out of collection.
The report investigated DRM systems used in 16 different digital products and services including Apple’s iTunes Music Store, Microsoft’s Office Visio, and Symantec’s North SystemWorks 2006.
“The privacy concerns with DRM are substantiated by what we saw,” David
Fewer, staff counsel with CIPPIC and the study’s lead investigator,
said.
Most consumers are not fans of DRM (if they understand it, at least). A legal way of derailing it, or at least convincing companies to consider selling DRM-free products, would be fantastic.
