Federal Privacy Commissioner investigates Tim Hortons app's detailed location data gathering
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada recently announced plans to investigate the Tim Hortons mobile app. A comprehensive media report released mid-June prompted this investigation. It brought up concerns about how the company collects data from its users and the amount of information it receives—even without the customers being on the app.
The federal Privacy Commissioner will be working with three of its provincial counterparts in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta to determine whether the app complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). PIPEDA is Canada's federal private sector privacy law.
They want to determine if Tim Hortons received "meaningful consent" from app users, meaning companies can only collect information if they receive consent from the individuals affected.