It is the moment of the choice, so receiving a text message from “Mary” or “Nancy” asking about your voting preferences may not seem so unusual.
At least that is what Calgarian Stacey Schoneck thought when he heard his phone do ping this week and read a message from a sender with “ERG National Research” that raises that question, along with a list of federal party options.
“I was momentarily quite excited [and] I thought I have the opportunity to say what is happening in Alberta, “Schoneck said.
Then, she replied.
When a return text requested her postal code, she responded again.
But then his name was asked. She says it was when she realized that something was wrong and began asking questions to the sender without an answer.
“You don’t need my name, so for me it was very suspicious,” Schoneck told CBC News.
She was not alone to be suspicious.
Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), an association of the electoral industry, published a warning On his website last year, he said he has received numerous complaints about these Erg National Research text tactics.
The notice underlines that ERG is not a member of his association and “should not be confused with environmental research, a CRIC member in good position.”
“We have very specific rules on how our members collect data and obtain information from individuals survey and really use it as a way of trying to distinguish a legitimate request from some that may not be legitimate,” said the CEO of Cric, John Tabone.
Since the warning issued, Tabone says that people have communicated with CRIC regularly because they are concerned about what could be done with the information they have shared.
“I have received concerns from the people who say: ‘You know, I am an older citizen, they just fill this. Now I know that I have seen the information about it, I am really worried … Do you know, is there a risk for me?'” Said Tabone.
Who is behind the texts?
Tabone has conducted his own research on the company, but says that what he has found has been limited and confusing.
According to him CRTC voter contact recordERG National Research appears as a communication services provider (CSP) for Electright, which, in turn, appears as CSP for ERG National Research.
From a search for corporate registration, Tabone says he found both ERG and Electright Use the same postal address.
And although he could not find a website for ERG, he found one to ElectrightWith limited information.
“This company could be legitimate, but it is really difficult when there is no transparency,” Tabone said.
CBC News has communicated with Electright, but has not received an answer.
Tip: Do not answer ‘Stop’
Cybersecurity expert based in BC, Ian Robertson, recently wrote a Blog About Erg’s texts, which he said is to draw several thousand visits per day.
He says he has been tracking who is clicking on the publication and what he realized is interesting.
Three weeks ago, Robertson says he was receiving BC traffic
Two weeks ago, it was clicks from Ontario.
And from last week, the publication received hits from Alberta.
“We are still obtaining a high success rate from Alberta,” Robertson said. “So we are seeing it provincially, and currently Alberta seems to be the seedbed where we see the traffic coming.”
Robertson presumably says, as people receive these text messages, they look for answers.
Your advice: Ignore it, blocking it and report it as spam.
He says that providing any response, even responding with “stop”, verifies that your phone number is a real number.
“While they are pushing [for information]They are filling a spreadsheet and [for] Some people will only have, yes, you are a human and yes, there is someone there, “Robertson said.
And he says that even small information has a lot of value.
He says that his postal code, in some cases, can reduce the block or the apartment building where he lives.
“You have increased the value by [confirming] This telephone number is in this specific location, so some third parties now have that level of demographic detail in you, “Robertson said.
Robertson says that it is better to always consult the Canadian election website to obtain any information related to the elections.
Tabone says that he believes that what Erg Research is doing is wrong, but he says that it is not exactly clear what rules are violating, so he urges people to inform their concerns, as he has done, to the elections of Canada and the Canadian Commission of Radio-Television and Telecommunications (CRTC).
How to complain who
CBC News contacted the CRTC and, in an response sent by email, the commission said “plays a limited role to promote and monitor compliance with Canada’s antivpama legislation Within a civil regulatory regime, [and] The CRTC investigates the complaints that are within this narrow mandate. “
CRTC also encourages people to contact Canada Commissioner Elections and Canada elections If they are concerned about spam related to elections and Center against Canadian fraud If they believe they are victims of fraud.
Tabone says that it is not clear who is responsible for investigating this type of complaints.
He says he now plans to raise the problem with the privacy commissioner.
But he hopes that if enough people speak, this type of practices will be investigated.
“I think the more people complain and make this a problem, I think some changes in regulations will potentially intensify,” Tabone said.
