The Current

Critics question nomination of Daniel Therrien as new Privacy Commissioner

Daniel Therrien is the Prime Minister's pick to be the new privacy watchdog. And most believe he'll be approved for the job. But critics wonder why Mr. Therrien would even be considered....

Daniel Therrien is the Prime Minister's pick to be the new privacy watchdog. And most believe he'll be approved for the job. But critics wonder why Mr. Therrien would even be considered.

Mr. Therrien appears today before the Commons Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. He's currently the Assistant Deputy Attorney-General for Public Safety, Defence and Immigration.

That makes him familiar with data-monitoring programs, such as cross-border data sharing-- a program that has been criticized by privacy advocates as invasive.

  • George Radwanski was Canada's Privacy Commissioner of Canada between 2000 and 2003.
  • Wayne Easter is the Liberal Critic for Public Safety and a former Solicitor General under Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
  • Michael Geist holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law.

What do you think of Daniel Therrien's nomination?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Idella Sturino and Naheed Mustafa.