In Canada, personal information protection acts have been enacted by the federal government and three provinces. These acts cover most private-sector organizations in Canada.

Personal information protection acts establish rules regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by private sector organizations. They also provide individuals with the right of access to their own personal information, the right to request it be corrected when it is incorrect, and the right to file a complaint about improper collection, use and disclosure of their personal information by private sector organizations.

The acts currently in effect are:

• The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
  - The PIPEDA applies to private-sector organizations in the federally-regulated private sector, and also to provincially-regulated organizations in provinces that have not enacted personal information protection acts that the federal government has recognized as “substantially similar” to the PIPEDA. Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia are the only provinces that have enacted substantially similar acts to date (January 2005).
  
• Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector.
• British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
• Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

A Privacy Protection bill covering the private sector has been proposed for Ontario but it is not enacted at this date. For more information:

• Ontario (White paper)

Some Canadian jurisdictions have enacted legislation to deal specifically with the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information by provincial health care organizations and other approved individuals and agencies. They are Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.

• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Ontario

There are other laws that contain provisions that provide privacy protection to Canadians. The federal Bank Act, for example, contains provisions regulating the use and disclosure of personal financial information by federally regulated financial institutions. Similar restrictions can be found in provincial statutes that regulate the activities of financial institutions, such as credit unions and insurance companies in provincial jurisdiction.

Various consumer protection laws at federal and provincial levels offer limited protections and remedies against illegal and unethical business practices that may constitute an infringement of privacy.

Some provinces have privacy tort laws which provide a civil remedy for someone whose privacy has been violated.

Link to all Provincial / Territorial Privacy Laws, Oversight Offices and Government Organizations: http://www.privcom.gc.ca/information/comms_e.asp

Design by

Hosted with Love by