The title of the Act could be amended to more accurately reflect that it governs and regulates personal informational privacy
Despite its title, the Privacy Act is not the sole source of “privacy” protection in Canada, even at the federal level. Canadian law protects many different types of privacy interests through a combination of constitutional instruments, the Criminal Code, the Civil Code of Quebec, the common law, and other federal, provincial and territorial legislation.
For its part, the Privacy Act specifically addresses the privacy of personal information, as it governs the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of information that relates to identifiable individuals. In order to reflect this underlying aim, the title of the Act could be changed to describe it as a personal information protection law, as is currently reflected in the Act’s French title (Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels).
Consultation has concluded. Thank you for your contributions.
