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se LR Ma ible "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, August 15, 2000 - 13 Goal is to protect consumers Tories pursue Internet privacy By Chris Hall Port Perry Star The provincial government has begun work on an initia- tive to step up protection of private and personal informa- tion used in transactions on the Internet. With the number of purchases on the Internet growing in leaps and bounds, the province has begun work on The Proposed Privacy Act, a consultation paper to help protect the privacy of Ontarians. While the federal government passed a similar bill ear- lier this year, the province is working to develop a com- prehensive, made-in-Ontario bill, said Durham MPP john O'Toole. "There is a lot of E-commerce already going on in today's world, and consumer protection is a big issue. The Consumer and Commercial Relations Ministry has gotten involved because the government thinks more has to be done to protect the rights and interests of consumers in this digital economy," said Mr. O'Toole. When purchasing items over the Internet, consumers must use their credit cards; in most cases financial and per- sonal information is kept confidential by the company. But in some cases, information about the consumer is passed along to others, such as marketing agencies. That is precisely what the government hopes to stop, said Mr. O'Toole. "If the business wants to disclose private information about their clients to other companies, then they need to get permission," he said. "And if they don't, there should be some action the consumer can take." Other information such as police and court news, should be readily available on the Internet, he says. "It's sort of a balancing act, really. Not everything should remain private," said Mr. O'Toole. "I don't think peo- ple should be able to look on the Internet and see what blood type | am, but they should, if they want to, know who's been found guilty of domestic abuse or political corrup- tion in their community." Future discussions will be held on the proposed privacy act, he said. No timetable has been set for action on the matter. O'Toole "Ontario is clearly positioning itself to lead the way in this electronic age, and we need to make sure there is pro- tection for the public," he said. "Privacy and access to information are both very serious and complex issues." Betty Penny, president of Penny & Associates Management Accounting in Port Perry, applauds the gov- ernment's action. "The information you give out over the Internet, you have to know who you're giving it to," said Mrs. Penny. "There have to be security issues in place when you're transferring information, such as financial items." Encryption and a Certified Authority Trust, a trusted third party to vouch for the company you're sending infor- mation to, are both good ideas to ensure protection, she said. Nursing Home set to celebrate its 25th anniversary ty Community Nursing home and Port Perry Villa will celebrate their 25th anniversary with an open. house, Saturday, Sept. 16 : Taking place from 2 to 5 p.m., the open house celebration will feature the award-winning big band Swing Shift and other live entertainment. In addition, there will be a num- * ber of presentations, and refresh- ments. 'The public is welcome to attend. Scugog's Most Read Real Estate & Classified Listings 'RIDGE: ~~ 1894 Scugog St., Port Perry 985-9777 1-800-448-1056 RTH Laud. [B Star Readers are always informed first! BLACKSTOCK - QUALITY Custom built all brick bungalow. Large eat-in kitchen with built-in appliances and walkout to covered porch, 2+1 bedrooms (or den), plastered walls, cove moldings, newer windows and shingles, updated oil high efficiency furnace. Stairs to unfin- ished loft - ideal for a studio. Full basement with walk-in to garage. Large double sized fenced lot 175'x150". Only seeing is believing - just a beautiful property. Come see for yourself! Asking $189,000. > HT § 2" $189,000. \_/ CALL RIDGE NORTH REALTY 985-9777 TODAY. * WWW.RIDGENORTH.ON.CA PRINCE ALBERT Mature treed lot, 3 bedroom brick bungalow, living & dining room, eat-in kitchen, plaster walls, large finished rec room with woodstove & bar, lots of storage space, high efficiency oil furnace, large fenced hedged yard (130'x115'), deck, double paved driveway, 2 garden sheds, country setting yet in village close to schools & town.