Andrea Slane, PhD
Professor
Graduate Program Director, Master of Arts in Social Practice and Innovation
Legal Studies
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Graduate Program Director, Master of Arts in Social Practice and Innovation
Legal Studies
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Dr. Slane's research focuses on privacy, data protection, and the variety of legal regimes that protect people from both individual and commercial wrongdoing online, over digital devices and smart technologies.
Full biography
Dr. Andrea Slane joined the Faculty in 2009, prior to which she was Executive Director of the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. She received her Juris Doctor degree, with honours, from the University of Toronto in 2003, and was called to the Ontario bar in 2004. Dr. Slane practised trademark, copyright, privacy and technology law at a large downtown law firm in Toronto before returning to academia in 2006. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California in San Diego. She was an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia from 1995 to 2000.
Areas of expertise
Courses
- LGLS 2500UInformation and Privacy LawInformation and privacy law examines two intersecting yet separate areas of law: privacy law and information law. The privacy law portion of the course will consider the privacy rights protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, public and private sector legislation such as the Privacy Act and the Protection of Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and the development of other causes of action addressing invasion of privacy by individuals. The information law portion will address the principles of open government and open justice, along with analysis of access to information legislation. The interplay between the two areas of law will be a persistent theme throughout the course.
- LGLS 3520ULaw and TechnologyNew technologies engage the law in at least three ways: they may become the object of regulation; they may affect the application of the law to human interactions; and they may affect the procedural elements of the law (such as evidence law). The course will examine the ways that both historical and recent technological inventions engage and are engaged by the law.
- LGLS 4010UCommunication Law and PolicyThe course will address a range of topics governing communication in Canada and internationally, regarding the broadcasting, information and telecommunications industries, as well as how rules and policies designed for industries apply to individuals. The course content may include how broadcasting and communication policy is made, national ownership rules, program content and quality regulation, access to the media, and how each of these topics are affected by digital broadcasting and publication venues. Further topics may include freedom of expression, access to information rights, defamation law, personality rights, and whether there is a right to protect confidential sources, and how these areas of law affect the work of journalists and other newsgatherers and publishers. The course may also consider the legal and policy issues affecting producers and consumers of digital media, addressing topics such as network neutrality, broadband policy, surveillance, online reputation management and intellectual property rights.
Education
- JDUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
- PhD, Comparative Literature (Cultural Studies)University of California, USA
Media appearances
Oshawa Express September 3, 2016IPC Ruling a First StepAs technology becomes ever more intertwined in our daily lives, decisions like those made to release Councillor Nancy Diamond’s private emails by the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) will continue as issues arise, says one local professor.
National Post December 31, 1969How C-51 undermines privacyIt is not a mystery why the federal government would not want to hear from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada during its hearings on Bill C-51. Part 1 of C-51 enacts the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act (SCISA). The government does not want Commissioner Daniel Therrien to draw attention to what these information sharing provisions are all about: Big Data.
Kids Help Phone December 31, 1969Sexting and the Law in CanadaWhen someone's actions have gone too far, understanding your rights can be a powerful way to make the behaviour stop.