WebProNews

Tag: Canada

  • Commissioner: “Google Contravened Canadian Privacy Law”

    This isn’t at all Google’s week when it comes to international regulations and the company’s collection of sensitive WiFi data.  First came the news it might be fined $3.3 million in Spain.  Now there’s been an official declaration that Google broke Canadian privacy laws.

    Jennifer StoddartJennifer Stoddart, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, stated today in reference to the Street View mix-up, "Our investigation shows that Google did capture personal information – and, in some cases, highly sensitive personal information such as complete e-mails."

    Stoddart then added that, even though the problem code was traced to a single engineer, "This incident was a serious violation of Canadians’ privacy rights."

    As a result, the Privacy Commissioner is pushing for Google to delete the data it collected.  She’d like to see the company implement a better privacy-related governance model, too, and also improve the privacy training it gives employees.

    GoogleGoogle has until February 1st to comply.

    That means the search giant isn’t facing any (additional) imminent legal threats, at least, which should relieve fans and shareholders.  Still, this decision represents a serious black eye on the PR front.

  • Good Week for Netflix Marred by Gaffes

    Good Week for Netflix Marred by Gaffes

    You would think it would have been a good week for Netflix, given that the company began its first expansion into another country. Netflix launched its Canadian streaming-only service earlier this week. 

    It’s not been the smoothest of launches, however. First some of the extras the company had hired for a video gave interviews to the press, who thought they were actual customers. Netflix apologized for this. Steve Swasey, VP of corporate communications wrote: 

    I want to address an event held by Netflix in downtown Toronto yesterday as part of our launch of Netflix in Canada. The launch included the shooting of a corporate video with some hired extras, who, it turns out, were given improper direction to talk with the news media about their enthusiasm for the Netflix service. This was a mistake and was not intended to be part of our launch plan. Simply put: we blew it. We didn’t intend to mislead the media or the public, and we can understand why some have raised questions. We’re sorry that our misfire has given Canadians any reasons to doubt our authenticity or our sincerity.

    Then, CEO Reed Hastings made some comments that didn’t sit too well with some people. He explains and apologizes here:

    My Big American Foot is in my mouth. Yesterday, I made an awkward joke with a reporter in Toronto about Americans (like me) being self-absorbed relative to Netflix pricing in Canada. I was wrong to have made the joke, and I do not believe that one of the most philanthropically-minded nations in the world (America) is self-absorbed or full of self-absorbed people.

    Netflix Streaming Comes to Canada

    Reed does note that Netflix is planning a streaming-only plan in the US. "The pricing Netflix is offering in Canada, $7.99 per month, does not include any DVD-by-mail option, and that is why it is cheaper than our $8.99 USA plan which has both DVD-by-mail and streaming in one plan," says Hastings. "We are looking at adding a streaming-only option for the USA over the coming months. My apologies to anyone offended by my self-absorbed comment."

    The company also announced a new deal with NBC Universal, which should help bolster its streaming catalog.

  • Canadian Privacy Authority Approves Facebook Changes

    Facebook’s privacy team can breathe a small sigh of relief; the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is not going to trouble them further at this time.  Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has completed a review and determined that Facebook’s in many ways cleaned up its act since last year.

    Stoddart’s investigation began in part due to the way developers of third-party applications could access users’ information.  The account deletion procedure posed another problem.  Today, though, she stated, "The issues related to the investigation . . . have been resolved to my satisfaction."

    Stoddart, who never came close to turning the inquiry into a witch hunt, also said, "I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Facebook for the cooperation it has provided throughout our discussions.  We recognize that some of the changes needed in order for Facebook to meet its legal obligations in Canada were complex and time-consuming to implement."

    Jennifer StoddartJust the same, Stoddart (along with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada) isn’t necessarily done with Facebook.  She expressed concern about Facebook making certain types of user info available to everyone, and said she’s received complaints about the spread of Facebook’s "Like" button.

    Another investigation might be in the offing, then.

    We’ll be sure to report any official developments.  Maybe Facebook’s just going to receive a gentle nudge this time.

  • Netflix Launches in Canada Without DVDs, Smaller Streaming Catalog

    Netflix Launches in Canada Without DVDs, Smaller Streaming Catalog

    In July, Netflix said it would expand into Canada this fall, and the company made good on that promise as it made the announcement today. This marks the first international expansion of the company. 

    Canadians might not be too excited, however, as the launch does not include Netflix’s DVD rental service, but only its online streaming service. In the U.S., customers pay for the DVD service and get the online streaming service for free as an added bonus. Canadians get to pay $7.99 (Canadian) for the streaming service only. 

    Update: WebProNews asked Netflix VP, Corporate Communications Steve Swasey if the company has plans to offer DVD service in Canada in the future. He simply replied, "Pure streaming in Canada."  He also notes that the Canadian catalog features different titles and is based on different licenses. 

    "Netflix members in Canada can instantly watch movies and popular shows – such as ‘Superbad,’ ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and ‘Mad Men’ – right on their TVs via Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s PS3 game console, and coming later this fall, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, as well as models from Sharp, VIZIO, Haier and Best Buy’s Insignia brand. Plus, they can instantly watch via Apple’s iPhone or iPad and on PCs and Macs," says Netflix’s Jessie Becker. 

    Netflix Streaming Comes to Canada

    There is no question that Netflix has made a lot of moves and will continue to do so to bolster its streaming catalog. However, as a standalone service (without the DVDs), it might be harder to find anywhere close to the substantial customer base it has acquired over the years in the U.S. 

    The streaming catalog is better, but it’s still not great. However, in the U.S. we are used to having Netflix with DVDs. As Canada has not had this from the company at all, perhaps they won’t miss it as much.  Update: It’s worth noting that the Canadian catalog is different than the U.S. catalog. Update 2: Swasey says the catalog in Canada is "slightly smaller".

    Would you pay for Netflix’s online streaming service only? Let us know. 

  • Yahoo Canada Partners With Zoocasa

    Yahoo Canada Partners With Zoocasa

    Canadians with an interest in real estate should now get more use out of the Yahoo homepage.  Yahoo Canada has partnered with a company called Zoocasa to launch a new application that’s located right by eBay- and Facebook-related apps.

    Zoocasa is supposed to be Canada’s fastest-growing real estate site, and a statement issued by Yahoo explained, "Now the more than 17 million Canadians who visit Yahoo! every month will be able to search for a new home, research local neighbourhoods and receive updates about properties that fit their personal profile . . ."

    That could represent an important step forward for both Yahoo and Zoocasa.  People move on a regular basis, after all, and even individuals who are locked into leases and mortgages for the foreseeable future often perform the real estate equivalent of window whopping.

    As a result, Zoocasa should receive lots more exposure and traffic, and Yahoo Canada’s homepage might become an even more central part of some folks’ lives.

    Laurie Maw, Director of Business Development for Yahoo Canada, confirmed, "The Zoocasa application is an important addition to Yahoo! Canada’s current line-up of online apps that includes everything from Flickr and Facebook, to links to our Sports and Finance channels."

    No financial details of the arrangement were disclosed.

  • Booyah Taps Google Maps API, Places to Take MyTown International

    Booyah announced today that it is taking MyTown international.

     The company has launched support for MyTown (for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) across Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The company says this makes MyTown the first to support global check-ins utilizing the recently launched Places Web Service via the Google Maps API.

    MyTown from Booyah - Now with Product Check-in feature "Booyah is the premier mobile and social gaming company on top of the exploding location graph," said Booyah CEO Keith Lee. "Our launches in the UK, Australia and Canada are just the beginning of bringing real world gaming to players across the globe."

    Places returns the 20 most popular places near a given location. MyTown has over 2.8 million users, according to the company.

    Last week, Booyah launched check-ins for products in MyTown, which lets users use their iPhone camera to scan barcodes of products to unlock points and earn virtual goods, and "creating a game out of real life items." Lee called this "a holy grail for marketers."

  • Netflix To Launch In Canada This Fall

    Netflix To Launch In Canada This Fall

    Netflix said today it will expand into Canada this fall offering streamed movies and TV episodes to users there.

    The launch is the first for Netflix outside of the United States, but it will not include the company’s DVD mailing service. Netflix says it’s the first time it has offered a streaming-only service.

    Netflix-Canada Canadian Netflix members will be able to instantly watch a variety of movies and TV episodes on their TVs via a range of devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as watching on PCs and Macs. The company did not offer details about a specific launch date this fall or what its catalog will feature.

    At the time of launch, the Netflix Canadian service will be available in English only, but the company said it expects to add French language capability over time.

    Canadians interested in Netflix can go to www.netflix.ca and sign up to receive an email from the company when the service launches in Canada this fall.
     

  • LinkedIn Hires Ex-Google Exec As Canada Head

    Anyone who considered LinkedIn’s physical expansion into Canada an odd or ill-thought-out move may want to think again.  LinkedIn has been able to secure Jonathan Lister, the former country manager of Google Canada, as its own country manager in Canada.

    LinkedInLister will be responsible for establishing LinkedIn’s first Canadian office, which will be located in Toronto.  Then he’ll focus on finding more users, more partners, and more advertisers, among other things.

    This should all be fairly routine for the man.  Lister’s duties while heading up Google Canada for a year and a half were similar, and his previous stints as AOL Europe’s SVP of operations and AOL Canada’s general manager mean that he’s spent quite a lot of time dealing with large-scale undertakings.

    Arvind Rajan, LinkedIn’s vice president of international, stated as a result, "Appointing someone of Jonathan’s caliber to lead LinkedIn’s Canadian operations marks another significant milestone in our international growth.  Canada is one of LinkedIn’s fastest growing countries . . . .  We look forward to being closer to our members in Canada and understanding their needs."

    Lister has already started at LinkedIn, and – naturally enough – has a detailed LinkedIn profile if you’re interested in learning any more about him.

  • Canadian Internet Usage Climbs

    The majority (80%) of Canadians, or 21.7 million people, used the Internet for personal reasons in 2009, up from 73 percent in 2007, according to a new survey by Statistics Canada.

    Rates of Internet use increased in every province during this two-year period. The largest relative increase in Internet users occurred in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador (+15% each over 2007). Rates were highest at 85% in both British Columbia and Alberta, followed by 81% in Ontario.

    Canadians-Online-2009

    Most Canadian (96%) Internet users reported going online from home during 2009, while 42 percent said they used it from work, 21 percent from schools and 15 percent from libraries.

    Among those who used the Internet from home, 75% went online every day during a typical month, up from 68% in 2007. In 2009, 55% were online for five hours or more during a typical week, up from 49% in 2007.
    Among people who accessed the Internet from home in 2009, 92% did so with a high-speed connection, up from 88% two years earlier.

     

    The majority (94%) of home users living in communities with a population of 10,000 or more accessed the Internet through a high-speed connection. This compares with 84% of those living in communities with less than 10,000 people.

    Email remained the most common online activity from home in 2009, according to Statistics Canada. Searching for health information online was reported by 70% of home users, up from 59% in 2007.

    Half (50%) of home users reported ordering goods or services over the Internet and 67 percent went online for electronic banking or bill payment.

    Nearly a third (31%) of Internet users reported downloading or watching TV or movies, while 27 percent reported contributing content by writing blogs, posting photos or joining discussion groups.

    Canadians who had used the Internet for five years or more were less likely to be concerned about online security than those with fewer years of online activity.

    Among those who reported using the Internet for less than five years, 55 percent were very concerned about online credit card use and 50 percent about banking over the Internet. These figures dropped to 42 percent and 37 percent, respectively for those reporting five years or more of Internet use.

    By 2009, 65 percent of all Canadians reported using the Internet for five or more years, up from 54 percent in 2007. Also, people who had used the Internet longer reported a wider range of online activities.
     

  • Internet Use Surpasses TV Viewing In Canada

    For the first time ever weekly Internet usage of online Canadians has surpassed the number of hours spent watching television, according to a new report by Ipsos Reid.

    Over all online Canadians are now spending more than 18 hours a week online, compared to 16.9 hours watching television. Internet usage is up from 14.9 hours last year. The number of hours watching television also increased in the last year, rising from 15.8 hours.

    Men are spending significantly more time online than women (20 hours compared to 16). There is just a small gap between age groups with 18-34 year olds spending an average of 20 hours a week online, compared to 18 hours for those over 35.

    Canadians-Online

    "In previous years we’ve seen significant differences between the generations and the amount of time they spend online," notes study author Mark Laver.

     

    "The data indicates that not only are people of all ages spending more and more time online, but it also points to a shift in how online Canadians are consuming media and where they are spending their free time."

    "Today, online Canadians are finding a myriad of entertainment options available to them within the walls of their homes. While some entertainment content has simply shifted from television to online, the Internet is also providing new content to Canadians."

    Canadian adults over the age of 55 are significantly more likely to be watching more television each week (20 hours compared to 15 hours for those aged 35-54 and 13 hours for those aged 18-34).

    "Our look at online television and media in the Inter@ctive Reid Report shows that Canadians are consuming more and more content online than they were previously watching on television or content that they simply did not have access to," said Laver.

    "Not only has the recession likely acted as a disrupting factor, but the Internet is poised to take the next step in our lives as it delivers more and more entertainment content to Canadians in their homes and on the go."
     

     

  • Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Probes Facebook Again

    Last year, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada investigated Facebook as a result of several complaints.  Then the Privacy Commissioner made some recommendations, Facebook followed them, and all in all, both sides remained quite friendly.  Only now another probe’s been launched, and the privacy advocate sounds less patient this time.

    Elizabeth DenhamThis investigation was prompted by another user complaint, and Assistant Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham (who led the original inquiry) explained in a statement, "The individual’s complaint mirrors some of the concerns that our Office has heard and expressed to Facebook in recent months."

    Apparently the complaint came as a result of the reworked privacy controls that Facebook introduced not too long ago.  As more than a few bloggers noticed, Facebook’s recommended settings would in certain cases cause users to share more information than they had in the past.

    Facebook may not have too much to fear, however.  As we noted in June of last year, Canada’s privacy commissioner is only able to make recommendations, and not collect fines or create laws.

    Plus, since the privacy controls changeover is pretty well in the past, it’s hard to see any point in making a fuss over it now.

    Anyway, according to the official statement, "The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada will investigate the complaint it has received, while continuing to follow up with Facebook as it introduces new changes to its site."

    Facebook hasn’t yet responded to the new development.

    Related Articles:

    > Facebook Announces Plans For Privacy Improvement

    > Facebook Privacy Concerns Make Their Way To Canada

    > Privacy Commissioner Scolds Facebook, Sets Deadline

  • Canada Gets its New Yahoo Home Page

    Canada Gets its New Yahoo Home Page

    Yahoo has announced the launch of a new homepage for its Canadian users (an effort the company says will bring together the "best of the web with the best of Yahoo”). The home page lets users add apps, much like the current US version.

    "The Web is an indispensable part of Canadians’ lives, it’s where they socialize, stay in touch with family and friends, buy products and services and share their photos and memories," says Matt Idema, Yahoo! vice president and country manager, Canada. "Whether for their PC or mobile device, Yahoo! Canada is bringing greater simplicity and relevance to the way Canadians experience the Web. Our new homepage is designed to help Canadians stay on top of what is going on in their world, and around the world no matter where they are."

    Yahoo Canada

    Features of the new page include:

    – My Favourites
    – App Maker
    – Social Updates
    – News, For you
    – PC to Mobile Sync

    Of course the Olympic Games are coming up in Canada, and Yahoo is getting this page launched just in time for that. The company says it will offer coverage in the following capacities:

        *   Yahoo.ca will feature expert commentary from well-known Canadian athletes including Elvis Stojko (figure skating), Ken Daneyko (hockey), and Jennifer Jones (curling), who will bring a uniquely Canadian perspective to their coverage.

        * Yahoo! Canada has expanded its sports editorial team at home to include former Globe and Mail staffers Steve McAllister and Ian Denomme.

        * Yahoo!’s coverage of the Games via its mobile site, scheduled to launch on February 9, will enable fans on the go to keep up with the latest happenings, including medal counts, news and expert coverage, live results, athlete profiles and more.

        * You’ll also be able to follow Yahoo! Canada’s Games coverage on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/YahooSportsCA/

    The new Yahoo home page in Canada becomes available tomorrow. A preview is available here.
     

    Related Articles:

    > Yahoo Upgrades Yahoo Finance Search

    > Yahoo Adds Ernst & Young Veteran To Board

    > Yahoo Sponsored Search Getting New Features