How our research led to a privacy complaint that pushed the World Anti‑Doping Agency to change its rules |
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada recently announced the outcome of its investigation into the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), concluding a years-long examination of the organization’s data-sharing practices.
The investigation followed a complaint that we filed with the Privacy Commissioner. We alleged WADA violated Canadian privacy law by disclosing athletes’ doping data to international sport federations for the purpose of sex testing.
In order to resolve the commissioner’s investigation, WADA has agreed to adopt remedial measures to ensure that doping data under WADA’s control is used only for anti-doping purposes.
While WADA agreed to the measures, it has maintained that it did not violate privacy laws. At the same time, it has signalled a willingness to work with regulators around data protection.
The decision is expected to have significant implications for sex-testing policies in women’s and girls’ sport, and the journey to reach it reveals a broader problem concerning data protection in international sport.
Complaint grounded in research
Our complaint was based on our own peer-reviewed research published in August 2024 showing that doping data under WADA’s control was being accessed by international sport federations to monitor athletes’ blood testosterone levels and determine their eligibility to compete in women’s sport.
These international federations have eligibility regulations banning women with sex variations and transgender women from women’s sport, unless their testosterone levels fall below certain........