Class-action lawsuit after farmers' information stolen
This entry was posted on 6/19/2008 7:49 AM and is filed under Class Action.
REGINA — A Regina law firm is planning a class-action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of farmers after a laptop containing their personal information was stolen.
The Merchant Law Group has filed papers in Court of Queen's Bench saying it intends to pursue the federal government and the Canadian Canola Growers Association.
In March, a laptop was stolen from the association, which administers Agriculture Canada's advance payments to farmers.
Some of the information on the computer included bank account information and social insurance numbers.
The association has said the computer was password protected, but the lawsuit alleges the information was not encrypted and the laptop was not stored in a secure place.
Some farmers were angry when they found out about the theft because it took the federal government more than two months to send out letters warning that the information was missing.
About 32,000 farmers were alerted to the breach.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g5hq4N-UzXHPjpWmRUCqfB0XEJ3w
