Canadian regulator opens probe of IDScan for allegedly violating data privacy laws

The Record reports that IDScan.net's technology is widely used by industry — particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors — to verify official IDs.[1]The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said its investigation will examine the security safeguards that IDScan.net had in place at the time of the breach, as well as the adequacy of its notifications to affected individuals[2] under PIPEDA, Canada's federal private-sector privacy law.The OPC said it has been working with the company "to ensure that the organization is taking the necessary steps to address the incident and mitigate any risks to Canadians."[2] It added that, because the investigation is active, it is not in a position to provide further details at this time.[2]According to Global News, the announcement marks the first time a Canadian agency has confirmed an active investigation into this cyber breach[3]. 1 that "certain data may have been accessed without authorization."[4] The company told affected people it was "providing access to free credit monitoring and identity protection services"[4], the outlet reports.The Epoch Times also reports that the 153 million figure advertised by the seller has not been independently verified as the number of people affected by the IDScan.net breach[4].CBC reports that Infoblox researcher Zach Edwards told Reuters "There's never been a breach of driver's licences at this scale."[5]