The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is Canada’s federal privacy law for private-sector organizations. It sets out the rules for how businesses must handle personal information in the course of commercial activities across the country. PIPEDA’s objectives are to balance an individual’s right to privacy with the need of organizations to collect, use, or disclose personal information for legitimate business purposes.
Under PIPEDA, personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. This can range from obvious details like name and age to more sensitive data such as employee records, credit records, and even opinions about an individual. Organizations covered by the Act are required to obtain an individual’s consent when they collect, use, or disclose that individual’s personal information. They must also protect this information through appropriate security measures and make it available to the individual for review and correction.
The Act not only influences how organizations develop their privacy policies and handle customer data but also provides a framework for addressing disputes related to data privacy violations. As businesses increasingly rely on the collection and analysis of personal data, understanding and complying with PIPEDA is crucial. The discussion that follows will delve into the principles of PIPEDA, the rights and obligations it establishes, and the impact it has on both consumers and businesses in the digital age.