Identity theft protection laws proposed in Ottawa

Ottawa are introducing new laws making identity theft a crime. The new regulations are welcomed, but are only one piece of a much larger puzzle, says one expert who has been studying the problem of identity theft. Philippa Lawson of the University of Ottawa comments that making identity theft a crime is simply not enough in the way of identity theft protection.

On identity theft protection and prevention, Lawson states "Criminals will always find ways to take advantage of innocent citizens. We need to take other, equally important steps such as creating incentives for companies and governments to take appropriate security measures, empowering individuals so that they can more effectively protect themselves, enforcing data protection laws, and assisting victims recover their financial reputations."

Lawson’s identity theft research project suggests much of the problem working against identity theft protection is the inappropriate collection of personal information and insufficient corporate security. Despite data-protection laws, businesses routinely collect more personal information than necessary.

The federal government's proposed law on identity theft in a bid for identity theft protection was well received banks and business organisations, as well as Canada's privacy commissioner.