Accused of selling our personal data to the highest bidders, Canada Post argued in court that its status as agent of the Crown entitles it to immunity, which did not convince the judge.
• Also read: Canada Post sells your data without your consent
On Thursday, the Superior Court authorized a request to bring a class action against the state-owned company for this purpose, where $2.5 billion is being claimed in compensation.
The action targets the Smartmail Marketing program through which Canada Post organizes the names and personal data of all its customers, that is to say all those who have a postal address, in order to market them.
Revenues from “direct marketing”, i.e. Smartmail Marketing, were approximately $300 million in Quebec in 2022 and $954 million for all of Canada. It was $922 million in 2021.
“Canada Post makes money, it does its business, by selling lists to third parties, who use it for targeting. She does not ask permission from her clients and does not give them anything,” summarizes one of the lawyers in the case, Réjean Paul Forget.
Canada Post has 30 days to request permission to appeal this ruling.
More details to come.
