** THIS PROJECT IS NO LONGER ACTIVE ** Whose Data? aims to make it easier for Canadians to answer key questions about who owns -- and what options we have to control -- data collected about us via common online (eg. social media platforms) and offline (eg. health records) activities. Read more about why this project is inactive -->
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Jargon Dictionary
The reason Whose Data? exists is because it's hard to find and understand information about who owns and controls our data. Lots of this info is hidden in long, confusing, technically worded documents like Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policies.
One of the main ways for new contributors to get involved is to help with secondary (aka online) research. And this means you're likely to encounter jargon you may not be familiar with -- which could make finding the information Whose Data? is looking for difficult.
That's where the Jargon Dictionary come in: this is your living, one-stop guide to jargon you may encounter as you do research on personal data!
Contributing to the Jargon Dictionary
Encountered a term you don't know? Add it as a comment below!
Have experience with personal data or privacy & security? Share a definition for one or more of the terms!
Once a term has a definition, it'll be added to the dictionary below!
Jargon Dictionary
Case
In the context of Whose Data? a 'case' is company or organization that we are researching. We're aiming to answer two questions about each case:
Do I legally own the data this org has about me?
Can I see all the data they have about me, for free?
Credit Report
A report that contains information about every loan you've taken out in the last 6 years — information like how much you owe, what you limit is on each account, whether you've paid on time and what authorized vendors have accessed your file. [source]
Credit Score (aka credit rating)
A mathematical formula that translates the data in the credit report into a three-digit number that lenders use to make credit decisions. The numbers go from 300 to 900. The higher the number, the better your score (and the more likely you are to get approved for a credit card or mortgage, and so on). [source]
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
An Agent of Canada's Parliament whose mission is to protect and promote privacy rights. Learn more
Personal data(aka personal information, identifying information)
Any information that does (or could be used to) identify a specific person, either alone or in combination with other available information. Examples include phone numbers, photographs, location data, email addresses, fingerprints.
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
The Canadian federal privacy law for private-sector organizations. It sets out the ground rules for how businesses must handle personal information in the course of commercial activity. Learn more from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Privacy Policy
A statement or a legal document that discloses some or all of the ways a party gathers, uses, discloses, and manages a client's data.
Terms of Service
Rules and/or conditions that a user must agree to in order to use a service.
Thanks so much for your interest in contributing to Whose Data? If you haven't read the Contributor Guidelines yet, please have a look before diving in.
Jargon Dictionary
The reason Whose Data? exists is because it's hard to find and understand information about who owns and controls our data. Lots of this info is hidden in long, confusing, technically worded documents like Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policies.
Anyone can contribute to this project, no matter how much or little you know about personal data!
One of the main ways for new contributors to get involved is to help with secondary (aka online) research. And this means you're likely to encounter jargon you may not be familiar with -- which could make finding the information Whose Data? is looking for difficult.
That's where the Jargon Dictionary come in: this is your living, one-stop guide to jargon you may encounter as you do research on personal data!
Contributing to the Jargon Dictionary
Once a term has a definition, it'll be added to the dictionary below!
Jargon Dictionary
Case In the context of Whose Data? a 'case' is company or organization that we are researching. We're aiming to answer two questions about each case:
Credit Report A report that contains information about every loan you've taken out in the last 6 years — information like how much you owe, what you limit is on each account, whether you've paid on time and what authorized vendors have accessed your file. [source]
Credit Score (aka credit rating) A mathematical formula that translates the data in the credit report into a three-digit number that lenders use to make credit decisions. The numbers go from 300 to 900. The higher the number, the better your score (and the more likely you are to get approved for a credit card or mortgage, and so on). [source]
Disclose To reveal or share information.
Intellectual property (IP) The legal right to ideas, inventions and creations in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. Learn more from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada An Agent of Canada's Parliament whose mission is to protect and promote privacy rights. Learn more
Personal data (aka personal information, identifying information) Any information that does (or could be used to) identify a specific person, either alone or in combination with other available information. Examples include phone numbers, photographs, location data, email addresses, fingerprints.
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) The Canadian federal privacy law for private-sector organizations. It sets out the ground rules for how businesses must handle personal information in the course of commercial activity. Learn more from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Privacy Policy A statement or a legal document that discloses some or all of the ways a party gathers, uses, discloses, and manages a client's data.
Terms of Service Rules and/or conditions that a user must agree to in order to use a service.