Ethics committee calls on PHAC to halt cellphone data collection to study COVID-19 patterns

The committee passed a motion calling on the government to suspend plans to extend the collection of cellphone location data due to privacy concerns.

The House of Commons ethics committee has called for a halt to the Public Health Agency of Canada‘s plans to collect data from millions of mobile phones as a way to understand travel patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee passed a motion Monday calling on the federal government to suspend plans to extend the collection of cellphone location data until its members are satisfied the privacy of Canadians will not be affected.

In December, the federal public health agency issued a new request for proposals to track countrywide cell tower-based location data between Jan. 1, 2019 and May 31, 2023.

The notice said the data must be accurate, accessible and timely, as well as ensuring privacy and transparency. It must also be stripped of all identifying information.

The news prompted the ethics committee to hold an emergency meeting during Parliament’s winter break, where Conservative, Bloc Quebecois and NDP MPs raised privacy concerns.

Liberal MPs pointed out the data being collected is anonymous.

The motion passed Monday that urges a pause on the plans was amended by MPs and had cross-party support.

Conservative committee member John Brassard, the ethics critic for his party, said the motion means the prime minister should now suspend the proposal to extend the collection of millions of people’s mobile-phone data.