ARCHIVED - Telecom Commission Letter Addressed to Various Parties Interested in the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC)’s applications regarding Bell’s use of customer information, CRTC file #8665-P8-201400762 – Requests for Information
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Ottawa, 18 December 2014
Our reference: 8665-P8-201400762
BY EMAIL
To: Distribution List
RE: Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC)’s applications regarding Bell’s use of customer information, CRTC file #8665-P8-201400762 – Requests for Information
Dear Sirs/Madam:
On 27 January 2014, the Commission received an application from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the Consumers’ Association of Canada, collectively PIAC/CAC, in respect of data collection and use by BCE Inc., Bell Canada, Bell Mobility Inc., and Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership, and their affiliates (collectively, Bell).
In a letter dated 4 December 2014, Bell filed responses to requests for information issued by Commission staff on 21 October 2014 related to this application, with certain information being filed in confidence. The Commission is in receipt of a letter from PIAC-CAC dated 9 December 2014 requesting disclosure of two of the confidential responses, specifically the responses to the following questions:
- In paragraph 60 of its Answer, Bell submitted that its Relevant Ads Program (RAP) does not rely on any information collected as part of an Internet Traffic Management Practice (ITMP). Is Bell using DPI or other intrusive technologies, which may or may not be used as part of ITMPs, in order to track the web usage of Bell mobile or Internet subscribers or to inspect the user content of communications for advertising and marketing purposes? If yes, (a) what information is Bell collecting [...]?
- The list of characteristics includes “Browsed Domain” and “Application.” Bell noted that these fields are sourced from network information. Please provide a diagram that illustrates the flow of IP traffic starting from the mobile customer’s fully qualified domain name (FQDN) request and ending with the loading of the page on the customer’s mobile device.
The Commission has also received a letter from Mr. Marc Nanni, dated
14 December 2014, requesting an extension to 9 January 2015 for filing comments on Bell’s responses. By letter dated 15 December 2014, PIAC/CAC stated that it did not object to such an extension.
In light of the above, and pending a determination with respect to PIAC-CAC's request for disclosure, the dates for the filing of comments on Bell’s responses and for the filing of Bell’s reply comments, are suspended.
Revised dates will be communicated in a separate letter.
A copy of this letter and all related correspondence will be added to the public record of the proceeding.
Yours sincerely,
Nanao Kachi
Director, Social and Consumer Policy
Consumer Affairs and Strategic Policy
Distribution List:
Geoffrey White
Counsel for PIAC
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
1204 - 1 Nicholas Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7
gwhite@piac.ca
Mr. Philippe Gauvin
Senior Counsel - Regulatory Law & Policy
Bell Canada
Floor 19, 160 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2C4
bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Ms. Suzanne Morin
General Counsel – Regulatory & Privacy Chief
Bell Aliant Regional Communications L.P.
Floor 19, 160 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2C4
regulatory@bell.aliant.ca
c.c.: CNOC regulatory@cnoc.ca
TELUS quinten.anderson@telus.com
PIAC jlawford@piac.ca
CAC bcranbiz@telus.net
Marc Nanni m_nanni@hushmail.com
Antica Corner, CRTC antica.corner@crtc.gc.ca
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