The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has posted videoconferencing tips on its blog. With the expansion of remote work videoconferencing has become a daily routine for many workplaces. Online meetings can present a new set of privacy concerns, and the OPC has outlined 11 tips to mitigate those risks.

Here are the tips, paraphrased:

1. Research the videoconference service to understand what privacy and security vulnerabilities it may have
2. Actually read its privacy policies and terms of use
3. Put some thought into your password when signing up for an account – use something new, different, and secure
4. Make your meetings private or limit to invited participants – if you don’t want uninvited guests, don’t post the link publicly
5. Use a password for your call and change it for each meeting
6. Don’t unnecessarily disclose personal or confidential information – if you do discuss personal or private information, disable the ability to record the call
7. Be aware of your background – it can inadvertently share a lot of information that you don’t want to share
8. Be aware of who can hear your call – use headphones or a private space
9. Regularly update any apps you’ve installed and review the permissions (and don’t forget #2, above)
10. When using a web browser for the call, open a new window with no other taps and ideally close other applications to avoid inadvertently sharing notification pop-ups
11. Turn off your digital home assistant so you don’t accidentally trigger it to record your call

Videoconferencing is just one tool of many that ministries have embraced in response to COVID-19 shutdowns.

Has your ministry adopted new technologies during the pandemic? Are you unlocking the potential in the tech tools available to you?

Watch our full conversation on CRM, Automation and AI and find out how ministries are adapting to the rapid changes in the administrative role.

CCCC members can watch the full interview here: www.cccc.org/bulletin_article/564

Not yet a CCCC member? We’ll send it to you for free here: www.cccc.org/crm

Church and charity leaders are invited to share how they are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic within their organization in our online community forum The Green: COVID-19 Response Room. 

Posted May 14 @ 11:30am

The post COVID-19: Privacy Commissioner’s Videoconferencing Tips appeared first on CCCC Blogs.

The Ontario government has ordered the closure of non-essential workplaces, leaving many churches wondering how they can continue engaging in core ministry activities.

Barry W. Bussey, Director of Legal Affairs at CCCC, has written to all Ontario government MPPs expressing concerns churches have over access to their places of worship.

Some of the concerns raised include:

• Use of clergy study or office, whether for personal use or pastoral care, including counselling (conducted with appropriate distancing and hygiene precautions)

In times of uncertainty, isolation, anxiety, and loss of employment, religious leaders are able to provide comfort and peace to their congregants and others. Mitigating against mental health crises is particularly important in our current environment.

• Use of church facilities to live-stream or record worship services for broadcast

Religious leaders do not necessarily have equipment or capability to prepare religious programming from their personal residences and require the use of church facilities to continue sharing their message, teaching, and worshiping. For some Christian traditions, there is a particularly high value placed on sacred spaces, and it is important for those groups that recording or live-stream be done from the sanctuary. Minimal staff are required and social distancing can be accommodated. The announcement lacks clarity as to whether this is permissible.

• Home visits by religious leaders to congregants

In sum, CCCC has asked for further clarity on the closure of non-essential workplaces as they apply to the core activities of religious leaders and the range of services offered by religious communities.

We recognize that during this time of isolation, it is more important than ever to remain spiritually connected. As believers, we are also in a unique position to offer hope and comfort to our communities. Even though we may have to make changes, we can still prayerfully seek creative or unconventional ways to reach out!

We will update you once we receive any statements from the provincial government on these questions.

We are currently reviewing legislation and orders in other jurisdictions to determine if a similar letter would be helpful to members and churches.

Church and charity leaders are invited to share how they are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic within their organization in our online community forum The Green: COVID-19 Response Room. 

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