OES to Address Data Protection Conference

NAID-Canada announced that the executive director of Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) has joined the list of speakers addressing the annual data protection conference hosted by NAID-Canada at the Toronto Board of Trade on October 29, 2010.

For more information visit: www.naidcanada.org


Unedited press release follows:

Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) Executive to Address Data Protection Conference

TORONTO, Oct. 20 – Carol Hochu, executive director of Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), has joined the list of speakers addressing the annual data protection conference hosted by NAID-Canada at the Toronto Board of Trade on October 29th. Ms. Hochu’s comments will address the not-for-profit, industry-run program’s electronic waste collection initiatives, the importance of data protection and the environmental benefits of safe, secure and responsible electronics recycling.

“We are delighted that we were able to give OES an opportunity to explain their program for addressing the data protection concerns related to computer recycling,” stated Joseph Bozic, Chair of NAID-Canada. “Ms. Hochu’s comments will have added significance in light of the Canadian Privacy Commissioner’s report earlier this month that many government offices are discarding computers with personal information still stored on them.”

Computer disposal will also be the topic of a presentation by Peter Klein, who will give additional background on the horrifying environmental and data protection consequences resulting from the all-too-common practice of exporting waste electronics to developing nations. Mr. Klein’s nationally televised exposé (Frontline, June ’09) on this subject won an Emmy® for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine on September 27th in New York City.

Among the other highlights of the event, NAID-Canada will also present the findings of its “Discarded Lives” research project, a six-week investigation into the amount of personal and trade secret information accessible in Toronto’s commercial trash bins.

Even though the final results of the study are still being compiled by the firm commissioned to conduct the investigation, the early indications are that a surprising amount of personal information is being casually discarded intact.

Ms. Hochu, Mr. Klein and the release of the “Discarded Lives” research findings will take place at NAID-Canada’s annual data protection seminar titled “Your Data or Your Life” held at the Toronto Board of Trade on October 29, 2010.

About NAID-Canada
NAID-Canada is the regional chapter of NAID, the non-profit trade association of the secure destruction industry dedicated to promoting the responsible destruction of discarded information and promoting the high ethical and operational standards of its over 1,400 member-companies around the world.

About Ontario Electronic Stewardship
Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), a not-for-profit industry organization, oversees the responsible recycling of waste electronics through its network of more than 600 approved collection sites across the province. Each Ontario resident and business is encouraged to safely recycle your electronics.

The program was developed with Waste Diversion Ontario on behalf of the Ontario government under the Waste Diversion Act, 2002. The OES electronic waste recycling program accepts 44 items of electronic waste including unwanted equipment such as computers, televisions, DVD players, hand-held devices and more.