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Google’s own policies state that advertisers are not allowed to target ads based on areas of “sensitive information,” including data related to a user’s gender, race, health or financial information.

However, according to the Commissioner’s office, Google officials acknowledged that some of its clients fail to comply with the company’s advertising policies, which are designed to prevent targeting ads relating to sensitive information.

While there are variations between different markets about what does and does not meet the sensitivity test for an entire population, experienced companies like Google tend to have a great deal of expertise assessing whether a particular type of information is sensitive or not, said Tamir Israel, staff lawyer at the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC).

“It is a complex area in the sense that it’s a very contextual analysis, so what is not objectively sensitive in one context may be in a different context,” he said.

“But where there is a lot of guidance for companies is there are some categories of information that are generally considered sensitive, like medical information and financial information.”

As a result of the investigation, Google has agreed to make a number of changes to improve staff oversight and its monitoring practices. Google expects the recommendations to be fully implemented by June 2014.

“We’ve worked closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner throughout this process and are pleased to be resolving this issue,” Leslie Church, Google Canada’s head of communications and public affairs, said in an email to the Financial Post.

Still, Ms. Bernier said the ruling shows the need for greater oversight.

“We need stronger laws,” Ms. Bernier said.

“The fact is the users are really, almost defenseless — we find that the balance between these tech giants and the users is becoming more and more uneven, and to restore that balance between the users and the companies, we need to have regulators with stronger enforcement powers.”

With files from Armina Ligaya