Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

Comité permanent de l'accès à l'information, de la protection des renseignements personnels et de l'éthique

For immediate release

Ottawa, December 12, 2016 -

Blaine Calkins, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, presented the Committee’s report entitled ″Protecting the Privacy of Canadians: Review of the Privacy Act″ today in the House of Commons. In its unanimous report, the Committee made 28 recommendations to reform the Privacy Act.

“The Committee has worked very hard to deliver a unanimous consensus report that recommends to the government reforms to the Privacy Act, that, if implemented will ensure that the privacy of Canadians is protected now, and into the future” stated Calkins.

Since the Privacy Act came into force in 1983, technology and the privacy environment have changed dramatically. Yet the Privacy Act has not been modernized accordingly. The Committee’s recommendations aim to reform the Privacy Act with respect to three main themes: technological changes, legislative modernization and enhanced transparency.

In the course of its study, the Committee heard 45 witnesses and received 5 briefs. The Committee would like to extend its sincere thanks to the witnesses for their contributions.