Government reintroduces PIPEDA amendments

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The Digital Economy in Canada - Reintroduction of amendments to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act

On September 29,2011, the Government of Canada reintroduced enhancements to private sector privacy legislation in a bill seeking to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

This Bill, entitled the Safeguarding Canadians' Personal Information Act, implements the government's October 2007 Response to the Report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics arising from the first Parliamentary review of the Act. The Government Response addressed each of the 25 recommendations contained in the Committee's report and committed to amending the Act in agreement with many of the Committee's recommendations.

Bill C-12 includes provisions to better protect and empower consumers, clarify and streamline rules for business, and enable effective investigations by law enforcement and security agencies. Canada already has a solid legislative framework in place to ensure the protection of personal information. The majority of the proposed amendments seek to "fine-tune" the legislation and update it to reflect changes in markets and technology.

• Bill C-12 – Safeguarding Canadians' Personal Information Act
• Government of Canada Moves to Enhance Privacy of Individuals During Commercial Transactions September 29, 2011
• Bill Summary
• Questions and Answers