Youth Privacy in Canada

Youth privacy is increasingly important, especially in light of how young people adeptly integrate the Internet and online serves into their daily lives. Under the United Nations 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, privacy is a basic human right for everyone under the age of 18. In the United States, the FTC passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act in 1998, specifically protecting children under age 13. Canadian privacy legislation – the PIPEDA and the Privacy Act – also ensure that children’s privacy is protected in the private and public spheres. The Canadian Privacy Commissioner has made youth privacy one of the issues to focus on for [...]

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CSA Model Code

In March 1996, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) published the Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information. Canada was the first country in the world to establish a voluntary, national standard for personal information protection.

The Model Code was largely based on the Guidelines Governing the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data, created by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). While the Code remains a voluntary standard, it enjoys strong support and endorsement by a variety of Canadian companies as the national standard on privacy [...]

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Provincial & Territorial Privacy Commissioners

In addition to Canadian Federal privacy legislation – the Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA – a number of Canadian provinces have also established their own substantially similar privacy statutes. Organizations operating in these provinces must respect the provincial legislation with respect to the collection, use or disclosure of personal information as well as the other federal regulations.

Provincial & Territorial Privacy Laws

As Canada’s privacy protection model takes a co-regulatory approach, a number of provinces and territories have established legislation with respect to the collection, use or disclosure of personal information within private sector [...]

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Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is a Canadian federal legislation governing the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by private sector organizations. It also regulates the use of electronic documents while supporting e-commerce.

About the PIPEDA

The PIPEDA was enacted on April 13, 2000 in order to promote and support consumers in e-commerce. The PIPEDA was based on the Canadian Standards Association’s Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information. It also intended to reinforce the privacy protection mechanisms and practices which reflected European Union privacy directives. The PIPEDA was implemented in a number of phases over [...]

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Privacy Commissioner of Canada

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is an officer of Parliament responsible for investigating violations against the Privacy Act (1983) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA (2000).

The Privacy Commissioner and those assisting the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) act as advocates for Canadians’ privacy rights. The OPC takes and investigates privacy violations and brings citizens’ concerns to the federal government. Like all federal government agencies, the OPC is funded through the Treasury Board Secretariat, which enables it to fulfill its responsibilities under the Privacy Act as well as the [...]

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