It's the government's job to protect Canadians' privacy online, says advertising exec

Michael Roy says using someone's personal data to assist with advertising is not a new concept.

During Cross Country Checkup's show on entrusting large tech companies like Facebook and Google with personal data, we heard from listeners across the country who spoke about their level of engagement with social media platforms.

Roy, who is director of research and strategy with the Vancouver-based creative agency Point Blank Creative, has worked in both politics and advertising.

He opened up about the give and take of advertising and personal information in the digital age. He told Checkup guest host Susan McReynolds about the role he believes governments should play in protecting people's privacy.

Michael Roy: I work in commercial advertising, and before that I worked in politics helping design ad strategies and ad campaigns. The story that was made famous by the Cambridge Analytica debacle is what's already happening in the advertising world and the political world. Twenty years ago, in the direct mail days, companies would buy lists of people who had bought cars or houses and use those data points to target their direct mail to send advertisements for products. The digital version on Facebook is just the newest version of that sales technique. We've had this for years, but it's interesting to see people finally start to pay attention now that they feel their privacy has been violated.

Susan McReynolds: Your view is that this is inevitable. So why are people surprised? When you look at how this story has evolved over the last 10 days or so, why do you think people are outraged that this is going on? 

Our regulators, our government, as well as these companies, are a bit behind in terms of how they safeguard personal information- Michael Roy

MR: I think part of it is that this involved Donald Trump, somebody who I would say most Canadians don't see very positively. For many, it feels like being violated. But this might just be the wake-up call that was needed. Our regulators, our government, as well as these companies, are a bit behind in terms of how they safeguard personal information and how they're allowed to use that information. I think what we're going to see over the coming weeks and months is privacy commissioners and provincial and federal governments in Canada starting to take steps to tighten how companies are allowed to use personal information, particularly in the digital space.

I worry that this is a case of closing the barn door after the horse has left, and that this won't prevent what happened in the Trump campaign. But folks are already hard at work at what happens in the next election and I think we're actually seeing some of that rolling out across Canada already. This is the next step in the political arms race, and I suspect after the Ontario election we'll see more talk about that. Is that legal, and are they manipulating people? These guys are using the same tactics as the Trump campaign, and the same tactics that the Russians apparently used in the U.S. during the Trump campaign. It's about emotionally manipulating people. Like I said, that's nothing new particularly in politics.

SM: I get the impression that you're saying the government really needs to do something regarding regulation. It needs to be better. This is as somebody who works in advertising — you work in this business.

MR: I do. Advertising has always been about give and take. I mean, you can go back a very long way. Think of the example of soap operas in the '40s and '50s. These were daytime TV dramas called soap operas because they were predominantly put on by soap companies who wanted to reach housewives. But the deal was you watch these advertisements which the soap companies paid money for, and that goes on to fund the show. That was always the deal and there was a bit of give and take. Fundamentally, Facebook is no different. You watch the odd video and the odd promoted piece of content and in exchange you get access to this marvelous free network that lets you stay in touch with your friends and family and organize your life. I think that's a fair deal.

Canadians expect their government to help them figure this out.- Michael Roy

The question is all in the details. How far should Facebook be allowed to go? There's an important role for privacy regulators to play. I know because I do this for a living, and certainly privacy has become front and centre. But Canadians expect their government to help them figure this out. People shouldn't have to be experts on privacy law and technology to feel safe in their day to day lives, and a bit of a review and discussion is in order to figure out how advertisers like me could continue to work on Facebook in a way that people's personal lives aren't being invaded, that their privacy isn't being overused. We need to strike that modern balance.

Michael Roy's comments have been edited and condensed. To listen to the full interview, click on the audio link above. This online segment was prepared by Champagne Choquer.