Across Ontario, public health authorities are using a controversial tactic to solicit children’s private medical information — threatening suspension from school for those who refuse to comply. In what many parents see as an alarming violation of medical privacy, local health units are demanding personal health details, including vaccine status, under the threat of withholding education for children who don’t comply.

As thousands of students face possible suspension for not sharing their confidential health information, concerned parents are increasingly ending their blind adherence to public health demands.

At the heart of the issue is the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), which clearly outlines the rights of individuals to protect their medical information. PHIPA mandates that personal health data cannot be collected or shared without informed consent, a process that must be free from coercion or deception.

Yet, public health’s tactics of using school suspensions as leverage to extract private data from parents appear to directly violate these provisions. This isn’t just a matter of philosophical debate — it’s a pressing concern with real-world consequences.

Canada's Privacy Commissioner is currently investigating a major breach involving PowerSchool, a third-party student information hosting company. In December, more than 2.8 million students, parents and staff saw their personal data compromised, including sensitive medical information.

This is just the latest in a troubling pattern of high-profile data breaches in the health-care sector, with incidents at LifeLabs, Ontario hospitals, and even the provinces’ COVID-19 vaccine (mis)management system.

As the digital age makes private health data more valuable than ever, parents are rightfully alarmed by the risks of unauthorized access, misuse and hacking.

Companies like Kaiser Permanente have come under fire for sharing sensitive health information with tech giants, raising further concerns about the security of digital health records.

Parents can push back against these coercive practices and demand that children’s access to education not be held hostage to invasive data collection by staying informed and asserting their right to safeguard their children’s health and privacy.

Join our campaign to educate parents about their rights and how to protect their kids!

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Goal: 10,000 signatures

Join the movement to protect children's privacy and education in Ontario, as public health authorities threaten school suspensions unless parents disclose private medical information. Sign up to stay informed, get updates, and learn how you can help safeguard children's rights in the face of coercive data collection practices.

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